Lord Moonie – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Moonie on 2016-01-18.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many members of HM Armed Forces are currently serving in Afghanistan; how many are female, and what roles they are fulfilling.

Earl Howe

As of 18 January 2016, there were 458 members of HM Armed Forces serving in Afghanistan under Operation TORAL. Routine movements and minor changes in requirements mean that this number will vary over time. The UK’s commitment to Operation TORAL nevertheless remains in line with the figure of around 450 personnel announced by the Defence Secretary in his statement of 27 October 2015 ( Ref: UK Military Support to Afghanistan:Written statement – HCWS273).

Out of the 458 personnel, 33 are female. There are 10 UK female officers and 23 other ranks. These personnel undertake a wide range of roles including: medical, force protection, mentors, police, logistics, communications, human resources and administration, and engineering and technical support.