hard to argue against it
he told US citizens to leave Iran and now there is evidence that they’re also reducing people in the area/nearby
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Ruh roh
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I think it’s a stretch to describe ex-regulars who don’t subsequently join the reserves as ‘reservists’ as that headline does.
Theoretically, that option has always been there but 2003 taught us that it’s much easier to mobilise active reservists — who are in date for all their training and fitness tests, etc, and are on JPA with a current address — than try to find people who left years ago and immediately grew beards and took drugs.
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It’s technically correct as you have the compulsory reserves of those former service and then the volunteer reserves who have signed up but aren’t regulars.
I think from the articles I’ve read they are starting to look at how mobilising that strategic reserve would work (interesting they are extending it to 65, I know plenty of older Squaddies not many are in a fit state to be called up at 64!).
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Technically correct but, as I said, “a stretch” for the normal usage of the word ‘reservists’.
I think that challenge was realised in 1991 when they attempted it for Op Granby!
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You’re probably right, although we do often ‘learn’ the same lessons more than once!
Was there ever a requirement to keep yourself in shape and to attend any refresher training as a non-active reservist? Or was it just as case of “you’ll remember which end of the weapon is which”.
but for the purposes of the average joe on the street reading the paper (or in this case, reading the BBC app) they are unlikely to know or care about the difference
it means that they are one step further than being called up themselves
ETA - having read the article it does offer a definition of who they are referring to
The measures affect the segments of the armed forces reserve who are former service personnel rather than volunteers - known as the strategic reserve
So while i agree the headline is “misleading” the article itself is clearer
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I think the assumption was that people would as that they were taught.
Historically, no “requirement” for Strategic Reserve - if I recall, Granby involved a 9 day “battlecamp” in the UK which acted as a filter mechanism to chop some and have some re-roled for low risk UK based deployment (and further training) - freeing up Regulars to go an be a liability in the sand instead.
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I’ve heard accounts from a couple of ex-regulars of being ‘mustered’ every few years – where they would confirm their uniform still fitted, their address, etc. This sounded far from frequent or universal though.
There was another push (late 1990’s?) - one of my aviation friends (same company) had only been in commercial flying for about 2-3 yrs, so still had his reserve status from the RAF “active.”
He got a job with a well known airline in the Middle East, & we suggested to him that as a reservist, he was a prime person to be called up.
Pah, he said, they won’t get me - I’m off abroad!
So, I sent a draft text to a MOD mate, asking him to send it out in a OHMS letter + envelope. Sure thing. I chased him a couple of weeks later - ah, apologies, rather busy, will action today. This was cutting things very fine for mate’s departure.
About 4-5 days later, I got a ‘phone call from the mate concerned - he was at LHR, waiting to depart to the sand pit!!! I had to stop driving, as I was laughing so much, I couldn’t see.
He had had his post forwarded to his mother - she ‘phoned him to advise of an important letter & he said, yep, open it , read it out…..
Dear ex-Ft Lt XXXXX, as you may have read in the national media, it has become necessary to recall reservists in order that more in-date qualified people can be released from ground posts to the front line for operational duties.
I have to inform you that you are one of those reservists.
At this point, apparently he sat on his suitcase with his head held in despair.
You are to report to RAFC Cranwell on XXXXXX for a short refresher on required officer standards, then you will be assigned a 6 month posting initially. Your direct liaison officer is Flt Lt Mike Jenvey, contactable on YYYYYYY.
This was where he said lots of rude words about me down the ‘phone to his mother!! 
He admitted that he was stitched up like a kipper!! On a trip out that way a few yrs later, we met up for beers (on me!) & a dinner. What a giggle.
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Worked with a chap who has been an officer in the Marines in one of the Nordic lands. Still had his reserve liability.
Couple of times a year he’d get a flight home on a Friday, live in a snow hole for the weekend and rock back up to the office on Monday lunchtime, fresh as a daisy and with a bag of duty free.
There’s certainly no widespread, or mass, system for people with reserve liability to receive refresher training, or to even stay in touch.
I left at 35, I retain Reserve Liability until I’m 55. I have informed SPC of stuff like changes of address, but never had a reply. I have never, in the 15 years I’ve been out, received an annual reporting letter.
The management of the strategic reserve is akin to the Production Norms at No 6 Tractor Factory in Rostov-on-Don: absolute make believe with no factual relationship between what should happen, and what does happen.
I know a lad who was called back for Bosnia, reported, had his kit issued, went to a briefing with a Brigadier “thank you all for reporting does anyone not want to be here?” He put up his hand. Meeting afterwards explained that he had a baby due was asked “well why did you show up”, pointed out that the letter said he would be arrested if he didn’t “ah don’t worry about that, we never follow it up, hand you kit back and go home”.
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This is exactly what is wrong with the whole Reserve Forces Act and related legislation and regulations. It all reads as though you have to sign up on a 12-year contract and be subject to compulsory mobilization. In reality, everyone can leave whenever they want (including people I know, who handed their kit in after our call out papers were issued, then re-joined months later).
The wording puts off potential recruits, who find it hard to believe when we tell them it isn’t really like it says: but, as it’s never enforced, there’s no benefit from it being there.