The Ministry of Defence does not categorise service personnel according to their “fitness for combat duty”. We can, however, provide information on the number of personnel who are, for whatever reason, currently either not considered deployable or only deployable in a limited range of roles. This information is reflected in the following table.
These figures include individuals who are non-deployable for both medical and non-medical reasons. Some of those classified as having limited deployability may be able to perform in combat roles, provided suitable medical support is available in theatre.
Non-medical reasons for non-deployability include soldiers under age 18 and compassionate or disciplinary cases.
The figures given include personnel filling all roles within each battalion, not just infantrymen.
As at 1 October 2009, the figures were:
Division Unit Number not fully deployable Guards 1 Grenadier Guards 127 1 Coldstream Guards 130 1 Scots Guards 166 1 Irish Guards 137 1 Welsh Guards 172 Scots 1 Scots 137 2 Scots 118 3 Scots 135 4 Scots 117 5 Scots 82 Queens 1 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment 167 2 Princess of Wales Royal Regiment 106 1 Royal Regt Fusiliers 127 2 Royal Regt Fusiliers 147 1 Royal Anglian 110 2 Royal Anglian 134 Kings 1 Lancs 149 2 Lancs 78 1 Yorks including Gurkha Reinforcement Company 3 133 2 Yorks 145 3 Yorks 136 Prince of Wales 1 Mercian including Gurkha Reinforcement Company 2 91 2 Mercian 121 3 Mercian 142 1 Royal Welsh 95 2 Royal Welsh 179 Rifles 1 Rifles 148 2 Rifles 183 3 Rifles 130 4 Rifles 191 5 Rifles 165 Royal Irish 1 Royal Irish 113 Para 2 Para 131 3 Para 110 Royal Gurkha Rifles 1 Royal Gurkha Rifles 76 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles 89
In addition to the battalions shown above, there are three incremental Guards companies which are primarily for public duties but which can also be used to augment the other Guards battalions as required.
Unit Number not fully deployable Nijmegen Coy Grenadier Guards 14 7 Coy Coldstream Guards 12 F Coy Scots Guards 21