TA soldiers can wear medals

12.00.00am GMT Fri 21st Dec 2007

Tank

Members of the Territorial Army who have been awarded Medals for service in Afghanistan and Iraq are entitled to wear them on their "combat" clothing when taking part in ceremonial parades - but only if Regional Commanders give permission.

That is the ruling given to Colchester MP Bob Russell in a Parliamentary Written Answer after he asked the Secretary of State for Defence to amend the Regulations so that TA soldiers could wear medals on their "combat" clothing.

Mr Russell said today that he had been prompted to ask the Question following this year's Remembrance Day Parade at the Colchester War Memorial after he was told that several TA soldiers taking part had not been allowed to wear medals awarded to them for tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq because the Regulations stated they could only be worn on "Number 2 Dress" which none of them possessed, and in any event the whole contingent from the TA taking part in the parade were all wearing "combat" clothing.

He explained: "Members of the TA are, in increasing numbers, serving alongside full-time colleagues. I met TA soldiers in Iraq and was impressed with their professionalism. I considered it grossly insensitive that they were seemingly not allowed to wear their medals at the Remembrance Day Parade in Colchester, so I decided to raise the general issue through a Parliamentary Question."

In his Written Answer, Armed Forces Minister Mr Derek Twigg said that Regional Commanders had discretion to allow medals to be worn on "Combat Soldier 95 working dress".

Mr Russell said: "I hope that all Regional Commanders will ensure that TA soldiers, who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq and elsewhere, will on future ceremonial occasions such as Remembrance Day be allowed to wear - with pride - the medals to which they are entitled and which have been awarded to them."