Life in the Reserve Forces

Training

Recruit Training
Every recruit in the Reserve Forces goes through basic recruit training. The only exceptions to this rule are soldiers, sailors or airmen with previous military experience. During this stage you will learn basic military skills on training weekends, midweek training evenings, training weekends and finally a two week course. The two week course is normally run by the regular army at a Recruit Training Centre for the TA, but is run within the unit for the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. You will learn about such things as physical fitness, fieldcraft, First Aid, weapon handling and map reading.

Continuation Training
Once you have completed your basic training you will then start your trade training, say as a driver, radio operator, electrician or mortar operator. A mix of classroom and hands on training will have you performing your specific tasks effectively, efficiently and professionally within a year. The test of your new skills comes when you go out on exercise and contribute to your unit's success.

Leadership Training
A unit is built up of many teams. After a year or so, you may be chosen to lead a small group, and you will be invited to attend additional training to develop your personal skills and prepare you for the additional responsibilities of promotion.

Officer Training
Whatever your background, if you have the aptitude, you could be selected for officer training. The Queen's Commission rightly commands respect, as those who hold it have passed a rigorous selection programme. Initially your unit will select you for officer training which will lead to attendance at a Territorial Commissions Board (TCB). There you will be assessed through a series of mental and physical tasks and if successful you will receive further leadership and development training. You will be given every possible opportunity to develop your analytical, management and leadership skills, before attending the commissioning course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst or RAF Cranwell. If successful, you will be granted a probationary commission as a Second Lieutenant or Flying Officer.If you have previous military experience with the Regular or Reserves Forces, including the Officer Training Corps, you may be eligible for a Direct Commission.

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Skills

Training for civilian life
Many of the courses you attend will give you vocational qualifications which could be relevant to your civilian career, for example City and Guilds Hazmat certificate, Food Handlers certificate. A category C+E driving licence is an essential part of many trades - another useful qualification to pick up along the way.

Presentational Skills
The Reserve Forces place great emphasis on training, and all those who are already qualified are expected to teach the next generation of recruits. You will be taught how to instruct others, and this not only develops your self confidence, but is also a very rewarding activity.

Making the Most of Yourself
Every unit can tell you a story of someone who gained a military qualification that gave him or her the skills and the confidence to change their civilian employment for the better. Whatever your rank or status, in the Reserve Forces the practical skills and leadership training you receive will encourage you to try for the next step and to realise your true potential.

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Pay

Basic Rates of Pay
When you are on duty as a volunteer with the Reserve Forces you receive the same basic rates of pay as your Regular counterpart. You may also be entitled to travelling expenses. You receive:
• A quarter day's pay for attending duties of two to four hours duration.
• A half day's pay for duties of four to eight hours duration.
• A whole day's pay for duties of eight hours duration or longer.

EXAMPLES OF TERRITORIAL ARMY MINIMUM DAILY RATES OF PAY

Pay is subject to tax and the deduction of National Insurance contributions, which under certain circumstances, may be reclaimed. Pay varies according to rank, trade and type of commitment.

Annual Bounty
In addition, you can receive a tax free bonus, known as a bounty. The bounty varies depending on your unit and commitment but the majority start with £382 per year, rising to £1506 after five years satisfactory service. In order to earn your bounty you have to attend a minimum amount of training, including your two week annual camp, and have passed certain basic military tests.

EXAMPLES OF BOUNTIES FOR TRAINING YEAR 2005/6
(All Bounties are subject to meeting annual training requirements)

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Rewards

Juggling a civilian career, home life and the Reserve Forces can be difficult at times. But those who belong to the TA, RNR or RAuxAF get a lot of enjoyment out of what they do. There are many reasons given for joining, but if you ask members why they stay, most will tell you that it is because of the camaraderie and the sense of achievement. The lifestyle is a great part of what being in the Reserve Forces is all about. It's not just about military service. It is all about 'serious fun'. When you get back to work on Monday morning after a training weekend and the talk turns to what you've been doing over the weekend, what will your mates say? "I washed the car, went shopping, went to the pub, watched the football" . All good stuff but look at your story "We were defending this mock up village at 3 am in the morning with the enemy about to attack at any time….". "Me and my team had to fix the engine of an armoured vehicle in the middle of an exercise when the vehicle was needed urgently on the other side of the training area…..". "We were on the ranges on Saturday and I managed to pass my annual shooting test". "We were given a few bits of equipment and then had to figure out how to solve a series of problems with each one of the team taking turns to lead".

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Social
The military training is only a part of it. There is nothing like the feeling of finishing a hard days training and then having a shower, getting changed and going to the bar with a group of friends who have been through the same experience as you. "Work Hard, Play Hard" is the motto, and that group of friends will stay with you for many years.

There are also social functions within the Reserve Forces. Each member of a unit belongs to one of the clubs, or messes, depending on their rank. The Warrant Officers and Sergeants and the Officers Messes hold formal dinners several times a year. A unit usually enjoys a number of all ranks functions as well.

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Travel
As well as purely military training, there are opportunities for expeditions and adventurous training; all designed to enhance self confidence and team spirit.

You could join a regular army expedition anywhere in the World or be involved in a project developed by your own unit. Last year a TA unit helped construct a health centre in the African bush; this year a unit is entering a NATO commando competition in Switzerland, another regularly enters a team in the extremely challenging Nijmegan Marches. Many units take groups on Battle field tours as a way of learning tactical lessons from history.

Obviously, your military training is important but the army also looks at adventure training as a means of developing confidence and character. Local units have sent groups off skiing in Canada, diving in the Red Sea, and sailing in the Bay of Biscay. Many units try to include adventure training in the programme for their annual camp. In the past year units and individuals have been skiing, sailing, climbing, canoeing, white water rafting, trekking and many more activities.

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Commitment

The minimum period of service in the Reserve Forces is three years. You can apply for a discharge at any time, or later extend your service for one, two, three or four years at a time until you reach retirement age.

You need to commit yourself to your training but it is not every weekend as many people think. There is a minimum amount of training needed in order to qualify for your annual tax free financial bounty, and many recruits are keen to gain their various levels of qualification as quickly as they can. It is understood that sometimes work and family commitments make it difficult for people to attend, and that the demands of the civilian job have to come first.

The actual minimum number of days varies depending on whether you are in an independent or specialist unit.

INDEPENDENT UNITS

Minimum 27 days per year from the following:
- Weekend training
- Two weeks' annual camp
- Units also hold training sessions one evening a week in the local TA centre

SPECIALIST UNITS

Minimum 19 days per year from the following:
- 2 weekends per year
- 2 weeks annual camp

The Call to Action
The 1998 Strategic Defence Review set out a fundamental change in the planned use of the Reserves in support of the United Kingdom's defence interests. As a trained member of the Reserve Forces you are liable to call out under the Reserve Forces Act 1996. This is designed to help volunteer forces operate readily alongside regular forces. Deployment is usually preceded by a period of thorough training, normally at the Reserves Training and Mobilisation Centre. Training prepares volunteers for the specific military operation, whether a humanitarian or peacekeeping task or combat operations such as the Gulf War. In the event of mobilisation, volunteers and their employers have the right to seek exemption or deferral under certain circumstances. Your unit can give further advice on the issue of mobilisation, or it can be obtained from the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association. SaBRE - Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers deals with employer relations for the Reserve Forces. For further information, see Employers Information.