DOCSLIB.ORG

The Call up of Uk Reservists: Your Employment Questions Answered

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Call up of Uk Reservists: Your Employment Questions Answered THE CALL UP OF UK RESERVISTS: YOUR EMPLOYMENT QUESTIONS ANSWERED In the UK, approximately 46,000 people belong to the Volunteer Reserve Forces and most of these individuals are employed in some way. On 14 January 2003, Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, announced to the House of Commons the first call- up of Territorial Army volunteers and other Reservists since the Suez Crisis, 45 years ago. By the end of January 2003, a large number of the initial phase of 1,500 call-up notices had been sent out. Further notices are likely to follow; defence minister, Dr Lewis Moonie, has stated that the January call-up was just the first in a series of compulsory call-ups for Reservists. With British troops deployed in the Balkans, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan, it is perhaps unsurprising that the Government is calling on Reservists in this way. Employers need to know what to expect if employees are called up: how to deal with call-up; understanding the employee's employment rights during and after military service; as well as the extra employment protection afforded to Reservist employees. As an employer, you may find Reservist employees involved in either voluntary mobilisation or compulsory mobilisation. In both circumstances, the employer should receive notification from the employee before the mobilisation occurs. A Reservist who receives notice of compulsory mobilisation should also receive a letter for his employer and it is the employee's responsibility to pass this on, to inform the employer of its statutory rights and obligations. The Ministry of Defence currently states that a Reservist's operational tour may last just three months and will not exceed 12 months. Q. Can an employer refuse to let an employee go? Where a Reservist employee makes a request for voluntary mobilisation (where no call- up notice has been issued by the Defence Secretary), the Reservist needs to obtain his employer's consent to his mobilisation, and the employer is not obliged to give consent. If the employer refuses, the Reservist must accept that decision. The situation is different where the Defence Secretary has issued a call-up notice; this involves compulsory mobilisation and different rules apply. A Reservist who fails to comply with a call-up notice would be guilty of absence without leave or desertion under the Reserve Forces Act 19961. An employer cannot refuse to let an employee go and if the employer (or any other person) tries to induce a Reservist to desert or be absent without leave they are also guilty of an offence. However, the Reserve Forces Act does allow employers the right to make an application to prevent the employee from going on active service. The employer has seven days from the date on which the Reservist receives his notice of call-up to apply to an Adjudication Officer, asking for the call-up notice to be deferred or even revoked, on the basis that the loss of the employee will cause serious harm to the employer's business. With good grounds, the seven day deadline can be extended by application to the Adjudication Officer. The employer must be prepared to demonstrate that the loss that will be suffered by the absence of the employee cannot be prevented by financial assistance from the Government. Business partners and the self employed have similar rights to apply to an Adjudication Officer. Q. What is meant by "serious harm to the business"? What constitutes serious harm is described in Regulations issued in 19972. The Regulations do not provide an exhaustive definition of serious harm, but state that it may include the following: (a) loss of sales, markets, reputation, goodwill or other financial harm; (b) impairment of ability to produce goods or provide services; (c) harm to research into and development of new products, services or processes. If, following an application from the Reservist's employer, the Adjudication Officer decides in favour of deferral or exemption for a Reservist, that decision shall cease to have effect if the Reservist's employment with that employer ceases. Upon termination of the Reservist's employment, the employer must, within seven days, notify the Adjudication Officer that the employment has ended. Q. Is there a right of appeal for the employer? The Adjudication Officer must notify the employer of his decision within two days of his decision being made. If the employer is dissatisfied with the Adjudication Officer's decision, there is a right of appeal to an independent tribunal called the Reserve Forces Appeal Tribunal. The Adjudication Officer may also review his decision at any time up to the commencement of the hearing of the Reserve Forces Appeal Tribunal. Q. Does the employee have the right to apply for deferral or revocation of call-up? The Reservist also has the right to apply to an Adjudication Officer for deferral or revocation of his mobilisation notice, again within seven days of receipt of the call-up papers. The Reservist may apply if (a) he or she has sole responsibility for the care of a child or disabled person and adequate arrangements for care by another person cannot be made; (b) serious disruption will result to a programme of vocational training; (c) a family owned business would suffer serious harm; (d) the Reservist has entered a new contract of employment but has not yet started work and the new employer refuses to postpone the commencement date until after the period of military service; or (e) because of some other ground which, for compassionate reasons, the Adjudication Officer should consider. Q. If an employee is called up, do we have to continue to pay his normal salary? The employer does not have to continue to pay the Reservist his or her normal salary during the period of call-up or mobilisation. Instead, the Reservist will receive service pay from the Ministry of Defence, as a normal member of the Armed Forces. In addition, the Reservist will receive a 'Reservist's standard award', to cover any shortfall in income, although the standard award is subject to a cap, depending on the Reservist's rank. The Reservist's salary for the purposes of calculating any standard award is taken from the 52 weeks of employment prior to call-up and the award may include a travel allowance for the loss of benefit of a motor vehicle provided by his employer. The bands of assistance available are as follows (based on the Army rankings referred or the equivalent in other Forces): ? the rank of Corporal or below: up to £22,500 ? Warrant officer, non-commissioned officer or, in the case of an officer, any rank below the rank of Major: up to £37,500 ? the rank of Major or Lieutenant Colonel: up to £55,500 ? the rank of Colonel or Brigadier: up to £70,000 ? the rank of Major General and above: up to £153,000 The Reservist may choose whether he continues to receive payment into a private pension scheme (with the MoD covering the employer's contributions), or receives the benefit of the Armed Forces pension scheme. In addition to the standard award, the Reservist may receive a hardship award if he can show that he will suffer financial hardship as a result of his call-up. The details relating to salary and awards are set out in Schedule 2 to the 1997 Regulations3. Any additional benefits which are made available are likely to be introduced through further Regulations. Q. Is the employer entitled to any compensation? The employer may also apply for a standard award of compensation; this was a change introduced by the Reserve Forces Act 1996. The employer's standard award is intended to compensate the employer for the loss of the employee over an extended period and the related costs. It is comprised of three elements: an initial replacement award, an ongoing administration award and a re-training award. (a) The initial replacement award is a lump sum for the employer's one-off costs in replacing the Reservist (advertising, interviewing, etc.); the amount is limited to the lesser of 6% of the Reservist's annual salary from that employer (based on average weekly earnings) or £2,400. (b) The ongoing administration award is intended to cover recurring costs, such as agency fees or overtime costs; the amount is limited to the lesser of 4% of the Reservist's average weekly earnings or £31, multiplied by the number of weeks of military duty. (c) The re-training award is based on the actual cost of necessary re-training for the Reservist (e.g. to regain or renew qualifications) upon returning to work after military service, up to a maximum of £2,000. The employer may also apply for a hardship award if the call-up of the Reservist will cause financial hardship which will not be sufficiently relieved by the employer's standard award. The MoD advises that to be considered for a hardship award, the employer must have costs exceeding one and a half times the amount available under the initial replacement award and/or the ongoing administration award. Q. How long is military service likely to last? Under normal circumstances, the maximum continuous periods of service for a Reservist are three years, 12 months and nine months; the length of the period depending upon the circumstances under which the Secretary of State for Defence makes an order authorising call-up. At present, Reservists are unlikely to be called up for a period exceeding 12 months and the MoD advises that employers should work on the assumption of an average period of seven and a half months.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Reserve Forces Review 2030 Unlocking the Reserves’ Potential to Strengthen a Resilient and Global Britain
    Reserve Forces Review 2030 Unlocking the reserves’ potential to strengthen a resilient and global Britain May 2021 Contents Executive summary 7 Reserve Forces Review 2030 recommendations 11 Chapter 1 – Context and the imperative for change 15 Chapter 2 – Redefining the relationship between the reserves and society 25 Chapter 3 – Expanding the role of the reserves 43 Chapter 4 – Unlocking the potential of reservists 55 Chapter 5 – Transforming support to the reserves 73 Engagement log 88 Glossary 102 Reserve Forces Review 2030 3 4 Reserve Forces Review 2030 Foreword Brigadier The Rt Hon The Lord Lancaster TD VR When the Chief of the Defence Staff asked me to chair an independent review into the reserve forces, I leapt at the opportunity. For over 32 years, the Army Reserve has been an integral part of my life and perhaps the one constant of my adult years. Like many fellow reservists, my service has been part of a fairly consistent juggling act between the competing demands of a hectic professional career, private life and soldiering. In writing this foreword I recognise that so much has changed. Rather than looking ‘down and in’ at the use of The reserves have evolved from almost entirely reserves by the single services, we have been contingent forces – that trained at weekends tasked with looking ‘up and out’. and annual camps, recruited locally, and were At its heart, this Reserve Forces Review 2030 encapsulated by names such as ‘Territorial (RF30) is about people and skills, and how Army’ and ‘Royal Auxiliary Air Force’ – to the Defence, industry, government and wider reserve forces we have today across all three society can share them.
    [Show full text]
  • Reserve Component Personnel Issues: Questions and Answers
    Reserve Component Personnel Issues: Questions and Answers Updated June 15, 2020 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL30802 Reserve Component Personnel Issues: Questions and Answers Summary The Constitution provides Congress with broad powers over the Armed Forces, including the power to “to raise and support Armies,” “to provide and maintain a Navy,” “to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces” and “to provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States.” In the exercise of this constitutional authority, Congress has historically shown great interest in various issues that bear on the vitality of the reserve components, such as funding, equipment, and personnel policy. This report is designed to provide an overview of key reserve component personnel issues. The term “Reserve Component” refers collectively to the seven individual reserve components of the Armed Forces: the Army National Guard of the United States, the Army Reserve, the Navy Reserve, the Marine Corps Reserve, the Air National Guard of the United States, the Air Force Reserve, and the Coast Guard Reserve. The purpose of these seven reserve components, as codified in law at 10 U.S.C. §10102, is to “provide trained units and qualified persons available for active duty in the armed forces, in time of war or national emergency, and at such other times as the national security may require, to fill the needs of the armed forces whenever more units and persons are needed than are in the regular components.” During the Cold War era, the reserve components were a manpower pool that was rarely used.
    [Show full text]
  • What Is the Reserve Force? the Reserve Force Is a Large Branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)
    2 Joining the Reserves What is the Reserve Force? The Reserve Force is a large branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). It is made up of people from the community who work in the CAF part time or full time. Members of the Reserve Force are called Reservists. Most Reservists also have other jobs. Alternatively, the Regular Force consists of members that work full time. These Did you know? members are also available at a moment’s notice to respond to any natural disasters or The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) was threat to national security. previously referred to as the Canadian Forces (CF). The name was changed in 2013 to give a truer sense of the purpose of our troops. Who joins the Reserve Force? People join the Reserves for many different reasons. Some want adventure, a chance to serve others, a challenge, or a second income. However, something all Reservists have in common is a wish to serve their country. A career in the Canadian Armed Forces is a call to duty. The soldiers, sailors, airmen, and airwomen who answer this call want to help others, and they are determined to defend and protect what they believe in. Military families “Strength Behind the Uniform.” 3 About this handbook Why do we have an Orientation Handbook? The Reserve Force is a large branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). In the Canadian Armed Forces, we say that military families are the Strength Behind the Uniform. Families support Reservists during relatively small commitments like weekend training and summer courses. Families also support Reservists during major events, for example, when the Reservists are sent to other parts of Canada or the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Doran-Pages7578.Pdf
    VIEWS AND OPINIONS DND photo AR2007-A035-0044 by Sergeant Craig Fiander Craig Sergeant by AR2007-A035-0044 DND photo Reservists Captain Richard Nolan (left) and Captain Clayton Ereaut, both originally from Newfoundland, listen to the owner of a pomegranate tree nursery in Afghanistan as Civil-Military Cooperation team members of the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team, 1 April 2007. THE PLQ MOD 6 CONUNDRUM: HOW THE ARMY PUNISHES ReservISTS FOR CIVILIAN ACHIEVEMENT by Dan Doran The Issue Background n this short article, I would like to address the issue of he typical reservist’s career begins in high school when Primary Reserve non-commissioned member (NCM) T the member is around the age of eighteen. The member training in the Canadian Army, in particular, the six- commits his/her summers and weekends to the unit throughout week Module 6 portion of the Primary Leadership the remainder of high school, and continues this commitment Qualification (PLQ) required for the appointment to throughout college or university. The reservist will typically Ithe rank of master corporal. This course is currently one of complete Basic Military Qualification courses (BMQ – Parts 1 the most significant stumbling blocks to career progression and 2), Qualification Level 3 (QL 3), and QL 4, in addition to among part-time soldiers, mainly due to the length of the a complimentary course or qualification, such as driver, to course, which translates to the period of time a reservist must round out the first four-to-five years of their careers. At this take out of his civilian career when an opportunity to attend point, the member has generally completed schooling and has the course occurs.
    [Show full text]
  • THE RIGHT to CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION in EUROPE: a Review of the Current Situation
    THE RIGHT TO CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION IN EUROPE: A Review of the Current Situation Quaker Council for European Affairs Preface Aware of the fact that conscientious objectors are still treated harshly in some European countries and that the right to conscientious objection is not even recognized in all the member states of the Council of Europe, the Quaker Council for European Affairs commissioned this report to highlight the problems which still remain in Europe with regard to the right to conscientious objection to military service. This report provides an overview of the current situation in Europe. In recent years many developments have taken place with regard to conscription and conscientious objection. Several European countries have suspended conscription although by 2005 most European countries still maintain conscription and most European young men are still liable to perform military service. In many countries, particularly in Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the former Soviet Union, both legal regulations on the recognition of the right to conscientious objection and actual practice are changing quickly. In other European countries, the right to conscientious objection is still not recognized fully or at all and governments persist in harsh treatment of conscientious objectors. Although there is a wealth of information available about conscription and conscientious objection in some countries, surprisingly little is known about others. Moreover, there is no recent comparative survey on conscientious objection in easily accessible format. The last survey of this kind was published in 1998 by War Resisters' International ('Refusing to bear arms - a world survey of conscription and conscientious objection to military service'), which answered the need of many organisations working on issues of conscription and conscientious objection.
    [Show full text]
  • Reserve Duty Status and Participation Manual
    Reserve Duty Status and Participation Manual COMDTINST M1001.2 February 2021 ON THE COVER: A Coast Guard Port Security Unit 311 boat crew conducts tactical boat crew training during a pre-deployment exercise in the Port of Los Angeles, Calif. The Transportable Port Security Boat is a 32-foot platform offering ballistic protection and more versatility for deployment. Commandant US Coast Guard Stop 7721 United States Coast Guard 2703 Martin Luther King JR Ave SE Washington, DC 20593-7721 Staff Symbol: CG-R Phone: (202) 475-5039 Fax: (202) 475-5431 COMDTINST M1001.2 05 FEB 2021 COMMANDANT INSTRUCTION M1001.2 Subj: RESERVE DUTY STATUS AND PARTICIPATION MANUAL Ref: (a) Title 10, United States Code (b) Full-Time Support (FTS) to the Coast Guard Reserve Component, COMDTINST 5320.3 (series) (c) Reserve Force Readiness System (RFRS) Staff Element Responsibilities, COMDTINST 5320.4 (series) (d) Title 14, United States Code (e) Uniform Reserve, Training, and Retirement Categories for the Reserve Components, DoDI 1215.06 (f) Reserve Components Common Personnel Data System (RCCPDS), DoDI 7730.54 (g) Administration and Management of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) and the Inactive National Guard (ING), DoDI 1235.13 (h) Military Separations, COMDTINST M1000.4 (series) (i) Management of the Standby Reserve, DoDI 1235.09 (j) Screening the Ready Reserve, DoDD 1200.7 (k) Ready Reserve Member Participation Policy, DoDI 1215.13 (l) Coast Guard Weight and Body Fat Standards Program Manual, COMDTINST M1020.8 (series) (m) Military Assignments and Authorized Absences, COMDTINST M1000.8 (series) (n) Service Credit for Non-Regular Retirement, DoDI 1215.07 (o) Personnel and Pay Procedures Manual, PPCINST M1000.2 (series) (p) DoDI 7000.14-R Financial Management Regulation, Volume 7A Chapter 10 (q) Title 37, United States Code DISTRIBUTION – SDL No.
    [Show full text]
  • Employment Rights of the National Guard and Reserve
    U.S. Department of Justice United States Attorney Table of Contents Eastern District of North Carolina 310 New Bern Avenue, Suite 800 USERRA.................................... 1 Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 Major sections of the law.................. 2 (919) 856-4530 Federal law.............................3 Applicability ............................ 4 Definitions ............................. 4 Discrimination........................... 5 Eligibility ............................... 5 Notice................................. 6 Five-year limit........................... 6 EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS OF Reemployment procedures ................ 8 THE NATIONAL GUARD & Reemployment position................... 9 RESERVE Reemployment entitlements................ 9 Documentation......................... 10 Health Care ........................... 11 Pensions ............................. 11 Vacations............................. 11 Assistance and enforcement .............. 12 Since the founding of our Republic, the citizen soldier has been ready on-call to leave home and protect our nation. Although the United USERRA Provisions ......................... 13 States has the greatest standing military force in the world today, that Protection of accrual rights................ 13 force cannot accomplish its mission of protecting liberty without the Protection of contributions................ 13 support and augmentation of citizen soldiers, whether from the Army or Air National Guard or from the Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force, or Protection of company match contributions
    [Show full text]
  • National Defence Is Everybody's Business
    National defence is everybody’s business FACTS ABOUT THE FINNISH DEFENCE FORCES 2021 The Finnish Defence Forces Develops Conscription and Local Defence The Finnish Defence Forces is developing conscript and reservist training content and quality to meet today’s demands. Today, readiness is part of everyday life and developing readiness continues. The capabilities for surveillance of territorial integrity and ability to repel territorial violations will be maintained on the good level that has been achieved. At the same time, we are directing resources to cyber defence, intelligence and to developing stand-off weapon capabilities. Capability building continues according to long-term plans. The Pohjanmaa class vessels are under construction and the selection of a new fighter for the Air Force is in its final stages. Decommissioned Army equipment will be replaced in phases, with a particular focus on mobility and firepower. Overall, military defence cooperation supports the maintenance and development of national defence capability, and international exercises ensure that our personnel is up to the task and that our units have the necessary interoperability with others. The Finnish Defence Forces deepens cooperation with other authorities and develops local defence all around the country. Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces General Timo Kivinen Aiming for Quality Training Conscript service builds the Defence Forces’ readiness and trains conscripts for military national defence duties. According to the Constitution of Finland every Finnish citizen is obligated to participate in national defence. All Finnish men between the ages of 18 and 60 are liable for military service, and women can apply for voluntary military service.
    [Show full text]
  • Integrating Active and Reserve Component Staff Organizations: Improving the Chances of Success
    C O R P O R A T I O N Integrating Active and Reserve Component Staff Organizations Improving the Chances of Success Laurinda L. Rohn, Agnes Gereben Schaefer, Gregory A. Schumacher, Jennifer Kavanagh, Caroline Baxter, Amy Grace Donohue For more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/RR1869 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available for this publication. ISBN: 978-0-8330-9828-3 Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif. © Copyright 2019 RAND Corporation R® is a registered trademark. Limited Print and Electronic Distribution Rights This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Support RAND Make a tax-deductible charitable contribution at www.rand.org/giving/contribute www.rand.org Preface Separate active and reserve military organizations have existed since the founding of the nation, and efforts to integrate them more closely—for example, to achieve greater efficiency, to make standards and practices more consistent, or to ensure commonality of purpose—date back to at least 1947.
    [Show full text]
  • 2015-International Comparison Deployment Reservists
    BS2015022084 / 9-12-2015 Ministry of Defence >Return address PO Box 20701 2500 ES The Hague Ministry of Defence The Chairman of the House of Representatives Plein 4 MPC 58 B of the States General PO Box 20701 Plein 2 2500 ES The Hague 2511 CR The Hague www.defensie.nl The Netherlands Our reference BS2015022084 Appendices : 2 Date 16 December 2015 Subject International comparison of deployment of reservists Please quote the date, our reference and the subject when replying. Introduction Earlier this year, the standing committee for the Ministry of Defence sent me a request (reference 34000-X-34/2015D03829) to update the international comparative study into the way the reservists of 2009 are deployed (Parliamentary Paper 32 123 X, no. 32). In addition to the countries the study focused on at the time, i.e. Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, the request was made to also include Belgium and Germany. Furthermore, it was requested that the question be addressed regarding the extent to which the deployment of reservists leads to an increase in effectiveness and to discuss “the alternative deployment of reserved funds for financial compensation for employers of deployed reservists.” Outcomes of the country comparison In 2009, the Ministry of Defence had predominantly examined general characteristics, such as the size of the armed forces, general tasks of reservists, the categories of reservists and their actual deployment. The new study has also examined the experiences and developments with respect to the reservists. The four countries in the 2009 study were approached again to outline the developments of the last few years.
    [Show full text]
  • Continuity and Change in Israel's Strategic Culture
    CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN ISRAEL’S STRATEGIC CULTURE Gregory F. Giles Prepared for: Defense Threat Reduction Agency Advanced Systems and Concepts Office Comparative Strategic Cultures Curriculum Contract No: DTRA01-03-D-0017, Technical Instruction 18-06-02 This report represents the views of its author, not necessarily those of SAIC, its sponsors, or any United States Government Agency Continuity and Change in Israel’s Strategic Culture Gregory Giles STRATEGIC CULTURE DEFINED For the purposes of this project, strategic culture is defined as: Shared beliefs, assumptions, and modes of behavior derived from common experiences and accepted narratives (both oral and written), that shape collective identity and relationships to other groups, and which determine appropriate ends and means for achieving security objectives. This definition is well-suited to consideration of the Israeli case. As explained below, Israel has cultivated—some would say imposed—a set of beliefs and assumptions on its citizenry as a means of simultaneously building and defending the fledgling Jewish state in the face of deep Islamic hostility. This belief system is rooted, in part, in such ancient texts as the Bible but is under considerable pressure from contemporary demographic, ideological, and religious changes in Israeli society. As a result, there is both continuity and change in what passes for “appropriate” ends and means of achieving security in Israeli terms. Indeed, the strategic culture framework could provide a useful tool for anticipating how the Jewish state might come to grips with its ongoing internal, as well as external, security challenges. STRATEGIC CULTURE PROFILE Summary Description Israel’s is a strategic culture in transition.
    [Show full text]
  • An Australian Perspective
    The Reintegration of Reservist Veterans: an Australian perspective Major General Paul Brereton, AM, RFD, Australian Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey J. Orme, RFD, Australian Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Edward James Kehoe, Australian Army Reserve Introduction The transformation of the ADF Reserves over the last decade, from a strategic to an operational reserve, has seen reservists deployed on a scale unprecedented since the 1940s, contributing in excess of 15 per cent of deployed personnel.1 This operational role seems likely to be reiterated in the 2013 Defence White Paper (DWP 13). Many other defence forces have undergone a similar transformation.2 For example, up to 40 per cent of deployed US forces in Iraq were reservists.3 Current global trends, with constrained defence expenditure and transition from conscript to all-volunteer defence forces, point to the ongoing operational use of reservists.4 The Australian Army, in particular, deploys reservists mainly in scheduled, lower-intensity regional stability operations in the Solomon Islands and East Timor, and domestic-event security operations and domestic response operations. More recently, special forces reservists have been deployed to Afghanistan. From a training and operational perspective, this use of reservists matches their overall readiness and training levels. Use in lower-intensity operational requirements makes optimal use of their civilian skills and life experience, and frees the regular forces for short-notice and higher-intensity operations, best suited to their levels of readiness and training. The overseas experience The deployment of reservists has been recognised as entailing risk factors for adjustment and post- deployment well-being in research in the UK,5 US6 and Canada.7 Higher levels of adverse mental health outcomes for reservists, compared to permanent forces, have been reported among UK and US reservists.
    [Show full text]