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A
reservist is a member of a
military reserve force. Military reservists are otherwise
civilians, and in
peacetime have
careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the
armed forces, and they remain a reservist either voluntarily, or by obligation. In some countries such as
Israel,
Norway,
Finland,
Singapore, and
Switzerland, reservists are
conscripted soldiers who are called up for training and service when necessary.
The notion of a reservist dates back thousands of years. In ancient times, reservist forces such as the
Anglo-Saxon Fyrd and the Viking
Leidangr formed the main fighting strength of most armies. It was only at the end of the 17th century that professional standing armies became the norm.
Historically reservists played a significant role in Europe after the
Prussian defeat in the
Battle of Jena-Auerstedt. On
9 July 1807 in the Treaty of Tilsit, Napoleon forced Prussia to drastically reduce its military strength, in addition to ceding large amounts of territory. The Prussian army could no longer be stronger than 42,000 men.
The
Krümpersystem, introduced to the Prussian army by the military reformer
Gerhard von Scharnhorst, arranged for giving recruits a
short period of training, which in the event of war could be considerably expanded. With this the reduction of the army's strength did not have the desired effect, and in the following wars Prussia was able to draw up a large number of trained soldiers. By the time of the Second Reich reservists were already being given so-called "war arrangements" following the completion of their military service, which contained exact instructions relating to the conduct of reservists in time of war.
All three branches of the
British Armed Forces have volunteer reserves. Reservists hold civilian jobs and train on a stipulated number of weekends monthly. They are generally assigned to an
administrative corps or
specialist trade according to their occupations and location in the country.
All five branches of the
United States armed forces have their own Reserve Forces, whose reservists can be called upon to serve anywhere at any time:
There is also the
United States National Guard, which is under dual Federal/State control, and is traditionally intended for homeland defense and domestic disaster relief (although large numbers have been deployed in the
War on Terror, and as such the distinction between National Guardsmen and Reservists has become blurred). The National Guard is divided into:
During peacetime, Reservists and National Guardsmen spend a minimum of
one weekend a month, two weeks a year annually in training. Reservists and National Guardsmen in front tier combat organizations, such as aviation units flying combat aircraft and combat support aircraft, will be funded for additional military drill duty or active duty for training in order to maintain skill levels. They may also perform additional duty in support of the active duty forces and/or in lieu of their active duty counterparts.
Some states also maintain non-federal
state defense forces as a small reserve for their National Guard units. These units cannot be deployed beyond the borders of their states and cannot be federalized.
Every conscript who has
served at least a day in the
Bundeswehr is a reservist,
unless he is
declared ineligible for military service or has made a claim of
conscientious objection. Soldiers of enlisted ranks with a limited contract (either 4, 8 or 12 years) or professional soldiers, who have filled their tour of duty, are likewise part of the reserve. This is also the case for women, but on the basis of the
Soldatengesetz (Eng: Soldier Bill), not the
Wehrpflichtgesetz (Conscription Bill). Every soldier follows his rank with the initials "d.R." ("der Reserve"—"in the reserve"). So it does not affect whether the soldier is called up, placed in an inactive formation, or not. Only professional soldiers use the appellation "a.D." ("
außer Dienst"—"out of service") after the end of their service. All others (part-time soldiers and conscripts) strictly use "d.R." until the end of their lives.
Reservists are an integral part of the
Bundeswehr. They are essential for the capability of the armed forces in time of war.
Reservists can be active in the
Bundeswehr in addition to their mandatory service. This mostly happens through (mostly voluntarily) military exercises or official events. Apart from that the
Bundeswehr organises reservist unions as particularly representative supporting organisations of "voluntarily reservist work".
Eligibility for compulsory military service for soldiers and other servicemen of low rank ends at the end of the 45th year of age. Thereafter the conscript is no longer part of the reserve. Despite that the appellations "a.D." or "d.R." may still be used. Conscription for non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and officers lasts until the 60th year of age. Until the 32nd year of age every conscript is subject to military inspection.
Recognised conscientious objectors, who have completed their civil service, are nonetheless part of the reserve and in the event of war will be given a
suitable non-combatant role outside the
Bundeswehr, such as emergency medical services, clearing debris or minesweeping.
All conscripts who have not done their service belong to the
Ersatzreserve (replacement reserve).
Israel:
Reserve duty (Israel)After personnel complete their regular service, the
IDF may call up men for:
- reserve service of up to one month annually, until the age of 40–45 (reservists may volunteer after this age)
- active duty immediately in times of crisis
Although still available for call-up in times of crisis, most Israeli men, and virtually all women, do not actually perform reserve service in any given year. Units do not always call up all of their reservists every year, and a variety of exemptions are available if called for regular reserve service. Virtually no exemptions exist for reservists called up in a time of crisis, but experience has shown that in such cases (most recently, the 2006 Lebanon War) exemptions are rarely requested or exercised; units generally achieve recruitment rates above those considered fully manned.
In most cases, the reserve duty is carried out in the same unit for years, in many cases the same unit as the active service and by the same people. Many soldiers who have served together in active service continue to meet in reserve duty for years after their discharge, causing reserve duty to become a strong
male bonding experience in Israeli society.
Finland:
Conscription in FinlandThe
Finnish Defence Forces is based on a
universal male conscription. All men above 18 years of age are liable to serve either 6, 9 or 12 months. Yearly about
27,000 conscripts are trained.
80% of the males complete the service. The conscripts first receive
basic training, after which they are assigned to various units for
special training. Privates who are trained for tasks not requiring special skills serve for 6 months. In technically demanding tasks the time of service is 9, or in some cases 12 months. Those selected for NCO (non-commissioned officer) or officer training serve 12 months. At the completion of the service, the conscripts receive a reserve military rank of
private,
lance corporal,
corporal,
sergeant or
second lieutenant, depending on their training and accomplishments. After their military service, the conscripts are placed in
reserve until the end of their
50th or 60th living year, depending on their military rank. During their time in reserve, the reservists are liable to participate in military refresher exercises for a total of
40, 75 or 100 days, depending on their military rank. In addition, all reservists are liable for activation in a situation where the military threat against Finland has seriously increased, in full or partial mobilization or in a large-scale disaster or a virulent epidemic. The males who do not belong to the reserve may only be activated in case of full mobilization, and those rank-and-file personnel who have fulfilled
50 years of age only with a specific parliamentary decision.
