Views on the Australian Reserves

[Cootamundra]

Just wondering what peoples views are with regards to the Australian Army Reserves.

1. Quality, are they are any good?
2. Use of, do they get called on very often?

Reason I ask is that I'm a 30 year old Australian who has for some time been very interested in the Australian Army. Unfortunately I missed my original opportunity to join the ADF (post school) as I was too interested in chasing girls and having a life free of parents etc. Now as a more mature (i hope) person I'm quite interested in perhaps trying to do a bit more for both myself and my country.

Have any of the other forum members ever been a reserve? If so, did they enjoy it? And finally, how well does it actually balance out with your real job? At the moment I'm a project manager in Sydney with a large multinational...

Regards, Coota

 

[Aussie Digger]

I stayed in the reserves after I finished my time in the ARA, though I discharged completely before I ever actually worked with the reserves in my Unit.

The reserves nowadays are a slightly different kettle of fish to those of yester year. Nowadays they do the same basic training course as the ARA lads, though ARA do an "advanced basic" course after the initial one is completed. They also do the same IET as "regs" and so are trained to basically the same level.

Do they called upon very often? Depends. If you have a speciality in high demand, ie: are a Doctor, Nurse or other medical specialist, or work in some other specialist occupation that is found in limited quantity in the regular forces, Yes. If you are in an Arms Corps, no. Particularly now that East Timor is over...

I still work for a Government agency (Queensland Police) and so I would be afforded plenty of time to parade with the reserves, were I still in. Almost every employer in Australia is legislatively required to allow it's staff time off for Reserve service AND to provide payed service so that you're not disadvantaged financially when performing "cut lunch Commando" duties... However it normally depends on the readiness level and amount of time it can allocate to it's members how much you'll actually parade.

Most reserve units usually have a limit of 70 days per year for it's members. Other high readiness units can parade as much as 100 days per year (1 Commando Regt for instance).

I'm not sure about your fitness levels etc, but 1 Commando Coy is based in Mossman and would be the Unit I'd be trying to get into should I live in Sydney and and interested in getting back into the Green Machine... They have the "reserve response force" role around Sydney (and Canberra) and also supply troops to round out 4RAR Commando when required. It's probably the most likely way and "ordinary" person would get to deploy on ops as a reserve (or part time as it's known now) soldier...

 

[scraw]

Coota -

From what I've seen from friends it really depends on what you volunteer for. One guy especially is constantly off doing stuff. Even ended up on a submarine for a while somehow.

 

[Cootamundra]

Thanks Scraw and A-D, appreciate the details. I live over the other side of the harbour but might pop over to Mosman to check things out, they have open days and such I think.

Coota

 

[Aardvark Fury]

Have any of the other forum members ever been a reserve? If so, did they enjoy it? And finally, how well does it actually balance out with your real job? At the moment I'm a project manager in Sydney with a large multinational...

Cootamundra, I was a member of the Army Reserve as I finished university and in my first year of employment. I was an AFV crewman (or tank driver) with the 4th/19th Prince of Wales's Light Horse Regiment, a reconnaissance tasked unit equipped with the M113. I had an absolute ball for the time I was in it. I mean how many people get to drive a 13-ton "tank" at 40km/h across the Australian bush and can blast away on the range with a .50cal HMG?

But, once I started full-time professional employment, which often necessitated working 6 days a week, it was just too much. I'd quit within the year. It's something I regret now, I wish I'd stuck it out, but it proved impractical.

I'm the same age as you and based in London at the moment, but I'm looking at coming home mid-2006. I'm currently contemplating doing my MBA when I get back but I also toyed with the idea of re-joining the reserves and doing Officer training instead (as a kind of 'real-life' MBA). However, looking at the time commitments required made me realise it’s probably not a practical option. At least once a month and maybe more, you'll be away for the weekend - Fri. & Sat. night and back late on Sunday. I could do it if I was single no probs. but it gets a bit more difficult with a lady in my life. She's made it clear she won't hack it.

I'm not saying it can't be done, lots of people obviously do, but it is a serious commitment that needs to be balanced against all the other priorities you have in life. MBA here I come.

Still, it remains one of the true highlights of my life...