Types of Reservist
There are two types of Reservist: Volunteer and Regular. Each of the Services - the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the Army and the Royal Air Force - has its own Reserve force.
Volunteer Reservists
Volunteer Reservists are recruited directly from the civilian community into any of the four Volunteer Reserve Forces - the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR), the Royal Marines Reserve (RMR), the Territorial Army (TA) and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF). They train and serve alongside the Regular Forces during their spare time, but they may also be called up (mobilised) for a period of full-time service.
Regular Reservists
Former full-time members of the Armed Forces may still be liable for service under certain circumstances and they are known as Regular Reservists.
The four Volunteer Reserve Forces
Royal Naval ReserveThe Royal Naval Reserve's (RNR's) support enables the Royal Navy to meet its operational commitments in times of crisis and war by providing extra trained personnel when they are needed.
Capabilities that RNR personnel provide include:
- logistics
- medical services
- engineering
- communications
- submarine support
- security
- intelligence
- air support and aviation
Royal Naval Reservists can also provide skills that are not found elsewhere in the Royal Navy, including the naval control of shipping, public affairs and liaison with the media.
Royal Marines Reserve
Members of the Royal Marine Reserves (RMR) are trained to integrate with their Regular counterparts, and are expected to reach and maintain the same high standards. Reservist recruits train for a minimum of one year and, if successful, are awarded the coveted Commando Green Beret. They are then expected to specialise, for example as:
- parachutists
- swimmer-canoeists
- small-boat or expert weapons instructors
RMR training enables them to operate in extreme conditions such as desert or cold weather mountain warfare.
Territorial Army
The majority of Volunteer Reservists are members of the Territorial Army (TA). The TA provides formed Units and individuals as an essential part of the Army's readiness for operations across all military tasks. This ensures that the Army is capable of mounting and sustaining operations worldwide.
The TA is composed of the same arms and services as the Army - that is, combat arms that are directly involved in battle, and Units that provide support for the combat arms.
Royal Auxilary Air Force
The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) is divided into squadrons that train in the evenings and at weekends. All of these squadrons train to support the regular RAF in operations.
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