Britain relies heavily on the contribution made by Reserves to our Armed Forces. They continue to provide a strategic reserve for UK Defence but have also increasingly demonstrated their utility on operations; indeed, they have played a vital part in our ability to mount and sustain operations, in particular over the last five years.
TA soldiers are a vital part of Britain's military capability
[Picture: Cpl Alasdair Allen, Army]
Since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, more than 17,000 reservists have served on operations around the world. They make up around nine percent of British Forces in Afghanistan, and four percent of British Forces in Iraq. Within the UK, they bring their military background to bear in contributing substantially to the community, not least when called upon in times of crisis or emergency. They are fully integrated into our regular forces and are able to work with high levels of skill in situations that can be very demanding.
On 28 April 2009 the Government published a Strategic Review of Britain's Reserve Forces, designed to look at how the Reserves can be better organised, trained, equipped and supported. See Related pages >>> to read more about the Strategic Review and the changes it will bring.
Types of Reservist
Members of the Reserve Forces fall into two main categories: the regular reserve forces and the volunteer reserve forces. The former is comprised of people who have a liability by virtue of their former service in the regular forces. The second consists mainly of people who have joined the volunteer reserves directly from the civilian community - the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve, Territorial Army, and Royal Auxiliary Air Force.
The Reserve Forces Act 1996 provides for other categories, such as:
• Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) - reservists who wish to serve full time with regulars for a predetermined period in a specific posting.
• Additional Duties Commitment - part-time service for a specified period in a particular post.
• Sponsored Reserves - These are personnel employed by a contractor to provide a service to the MOD.
TA soldiers completing a grueling six-mile (9.6km) Combat Fitness Test (CFT)
[Picture: Stuart Bingham]
As part of the contract a certain proportion of the workforce must also agree to become Sponsored Reserves. In peace they carry out their work as civilians but in times of conflict they can, if required, be rapidly mobilised and deployed to ensure a continuity of the agreed service.
The Volunteer Reserve Forces are widely dispersed across the country - much more so than the Regular Forces and in many areas, they are the visible face of the Armed Forces. They help to keep society informed about the Armed Forces, and of the importance of defence to the nation, and have an active role supporting the Cadet organisations. They provide a means by which the community as a whole can contribute to Britain's security.
Royal Naval Reserve (RNR)
The RNR is based on 13 Reserve Training Centres and a number of smaller satellite units throughout the UK. The RNR provides a corps of personnel who train in their spare time to enable the Royal Navy to meet its operational commitments in peace, crisis, tension and war.
Each year, most members of the RNR aim to spend a minimum of 24 days training in their own units as well as in Royal Navy ships and establishments worldwide. Some volunteers do even more, taking up opportunities to work closely alongside their Regular counterparts, including attachments to ships involved in exercises and operations around the world. In support of today’s operations, predominantly in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are usually around 100 RNR personnel continually mobilised to work with the Regulars. In addition, there are normally around another 100 RNR personnel employed on short-term contracts filling Regular Service posts in both the UK and abroad.
Members of 243 (The Wessex) Field Hospital Unit on exercise before deploying to Afghansitan
[Picture: Chris Barker]
Royal Marines Reserve (RMR)
The RMR is established for 970 personnel of whom about one third are under training. It enjoys a broad national footprint based on five widespread units, each of which has a number of smaller detachments.
To win the commando green beret, RMR recruits all undergo the same demanding physical tests as their regular RM counterparts. Once trained, they develop their skills as amphibious infantry capable of operating in the jungle, desert, snow and mountains. Having gained some experience, they are then encouraged to undertake one or more specialisations that broadly mirror those of the Regular Corps. Additionally, some can train in niche specialisations that are not available to the RM. The ability to be used as either General Duties Marines or as specialists gives RMR ranks great utility.
Due to their common training, standards and ethos, RMR personnel integrate seamlessly with their regular colleagues. RMR ranks often augment the RM on short-term attachments and exercises and at any one time about 40 augment the Corps on long-term attachments. In recent years, RMR personnel have been mobilised to serve in the Balkans and Iraq but currently they are used extensively to augment the Corps on operations in Afghanistan.
The Territorial Army (TA)
The TA has an establishment strength of 42,000, including 3,500 posts in the University Officer Training Corps. Unit locations are spread across virtually the whole country and it provides a broad range of military capabilities to augment the Regular Army. The Strategic Defence Review and more recently Future Army Structures have increased integration with the Regular Army and improved the usability of the TA. It remains shaped and sized for the provision of contingent capability for large-scale contingent operations; however in recent years there has been an increased level of importance placed on its role in contributing to enduring operations, which has emphasised it relevance.
The TA’s geographic distribution and position within the community make it a vital element in maintaining the Army’s links with society. These same attributes also mean that it is well placed for its role in UK operations and the provision of support for civil contingencies.
A team from 156 (North West) Transport Regiment tackles a wall
[Picture: Kevin Hegarty]
Reserve Air Forces
With 20 units around the country the Royal Auxiliary Air Force forms the core of the part-time volunteer reservist element of the Reserve Air Forces. With 2 exceptions, the units of the Reserve Air Forces are based at RAF Stations throughout the UK and perform many specialist and support tasks, including intelligence, movements, force protection, linguist and medical. Reservist aircrew are to be found serving on a range of aircraft types. RAF reservists are serving in support of all current operations, both at home and abroad.
Mobilisation of Reserves
Before reservists can be mobilised and sent on operations, a Call-out Order has to be signed by the Defence Secretary. He has the power under different parts of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 to authorise the use of reserves in a variety of situations.
Members of all the Reserve Forces have been mobilised to support current operations. They have deployed both as individuals and in small cohorts to serve with and alongside their regular counterparts. Before they are deployed, reservists must undergo a period of pre-deployment preparation during which they are issued with equipment, given medical examinations and receive any additional training required for their operational theatre.
And a note for employers
The reserves are highly skilled and carry out interesting and important jobs. The training and experience they receive, working alongside our world-class regular forces, improves management, leadership and problem solving skills - giving employers back better employees. Advice and support for employers and reservists is provided by SaBRE (Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers) which is a Ministry of Defence marketing and communications campaign, set up in October 2002 with the goal of gaining and maintaining the support of reservists and employers of reservists.