Showing posts with label reservist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reservist. Show all posts

Saturday, July 11, 2020

Reservists - 21st

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Joining Army Reservists As They Finish Their Basic Training! | Forces > .23-1-26 Germany's military in dire state. Fix? | DW > .
22-7-3 Germany - Rearmament & Ukraine - €100 billion & Bundeswehr - Perun > .

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 Finland

The 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.


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Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Territorial Army, Reserved Occupations, 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division, BEF

Territorial Army | Reserved Occupations | 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division | BEF

Up The Terriers Aka Territorial Army Recruiting (1939)

The Class Z Reserve was a Reserve contingent of the British Army consisting of previously enlisted soldiers, now discharged.

The first Z Reserve was authorised by an Army Order of 3 December 1918. When expected problems with violations of the Armistice with Germany did not eventuate, the Z Reserve was abolished on 31 March 1920

Following the Second World War, a new Z Reserve of soldiers and officers who had served between 3 September 1939 and 31 December 1948 were available for recall if under 45 years of age.
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The Army Reserve (previously known as the Territorial Force, Territorial Army (TA) and the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) from 1920 to 2014) was created as the Territorial Force in 1908 by the Secretary of State for War, Richard Haldane, when the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 combined the previously civilian-administered Volunteer Force, with the mounted Yeomanry (at the same time the Militia was renamed the Special Reserve). Most Volunteer infantry units had unique identities, but lost these in the reorganisation, becoming Territorial battalions of Regular Army infantry regiments. Only one infantry unit, the London Regiment, has maintained a separate identity.

During periods of total war, the Army Reserve is incorporated by the Royal Prerogative into Regular Service under one code of Military Law for the duration of hostilities or until de-activation is decided upon. After the Second World War, for example, the Army Reserve - or Territorial Army as it was known then - was not demobilised until 1947.

New recruiting started in early 1920, and the Territorial Force was reconstituted on 7 February 1920. ... As part of the post-war "Geddes Axe" financial cuts, the TA was further reduced in size in 1922: artillery batteries lost two of their six guns, the established size of infantry battalions was cut and ancillary medical, veterinary, signals and Royal Army Service Corps units were either reduced in size or abolished. The bounty was also reduced to £3 for trained men and £2.10s 0d for recruits, which resulted in finding £1,175,000 of the total savings required from the army as a whole. An innovation in 1922 was the creation of two Air Defence Brigades to provide anti-aircraft defence for London.

On 29 March 1939, it was announced that the size of the TA was to be doubled by the reforming of the 2nd line units. The total strength of the TA was to be 440,000: the field force of the Territorial Army was to rise from 130,000 to 340,000, organised in 26 divisions, while an additional 100,000 all ranks would form the anti-aircraft section. When the 2nd Line was reformed, they were a little different from their First World War predecessors. They had slightly different names and the regiments assigned were different. After VJ Day in August 1945, the Territorial Army was significantly reduced, with all 2nd Line and several 1st Line Divisions once again disbanded.
In 1938, a Schedule of Reserved Occupations was created with the goal of exempting skilled workers from being conscripted into service. This idea was drawn up because of lessons learned during World War I when many skilled labourers were drawn into service, which created problems where positions needed filling. Examples of reserved occupations in the Second World War included coal mining, ship building, and many engineering-related trades. The idea was constantly reviewed throughout the war, as women, again, began to work more in industries such as munitions. This meant that men were free to join other organisations such as the Special Constabulary, the Home Guard or the ARP.

It also allowed for men to join up and give them responsibilities towards the war effort, as well as allowing for them to be less stressed about not being able to directly be involved in the action. Also, many pacifists and conscientious objectors worked in reserved occupations as a compromise or to avoid call-up. Harper Adams Agricultural College saw a huge demand for places during the Second World War, as both agricultural students and farmers were exempt from conscription.
In the UK, coal mining was not a reserved occupation at the start of the war, and there was a great shortage of coal miners. Consequently, starting in December 1943, one in ten men conscripted was chosen at random to work in the mines. These men became known as "Bevin Boys" after the creator of the scheme, Ernest Bevin, the Minister of Labour and National Service.

The territorial division, by now designated as the 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division, was mobilized on 3 September 1939 on the outbreak of the Second World War. Initially in Southern and then Eastern Commands, the division, under the command of Major-General Edmund Osborne, was sent overseas where it joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France and Belgium on 1 April 1940, and was assigned to III Corps, commanded by Lieutenant-General Ronald Forbes Adam. It took part in the Battle of St Omer-La Bassée (23–29 May) during the retreat to Dunkirk. At the end of May 1940 they were evacuated at Dunkirk after the German Army threatened to cut off and destroy the entire BEF from the French Army during the battles of France and Belgium.

After returning to England the division, much reduced in manpower and woefully short of equipment, and now under the command of Major-General Arthur Percival (who had taken command in late June 1940, until late March the following year), spent the next nearly two years on home defence, anticipating a German invasion which never arrived, travelling variously through the counties of Kent and Sussex and serving under I and XII Corps.

On 29 May 1942, the division, now under the control of the War Office and commanded by Major-General Ivor Hughes, departed the United Kingdom to take part in the North African Campaign. It arrived in Cairo, Egypt on 24 July – the long sea journey being due to transiting via the Cape of Good Hope.

Less than three weeks after its arrival, however, the division was soon ordered by General Sir Harold Alexander (replacing General Sir Claude Auchinleck on 13 August), the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C), Middle East, to be sent forward to join the British Eighth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery, at El Alamein. The 44th Division, serving under XIII Corps under Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks (a former commander of the division between June 1941 and March 1942), fought at the Battle of Alam el Halfa (30 August–7 September) where the 132nd Brigade was temporarily detached to the 2nd New Zealand Division and suffered heavily, with just under 700 casualties being sustained.

On 8 September, the 133rd Brigade was detached from the division. It was briefly assigned to the 8th Armoured Division before being assigned to the 10th Armoured Division on 29 September as a lorried infantry unit. Therefore, as a result of this change, the division started the Battle of El Alamein (23 October–4 November) with just two brigades. It was still assigned to XIII Corps,[59] alongside the 7th Armoured and 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Divisions. The Corps was on the southern flank with the task of tying down enemy reserves while the main thrust was made in the north with XXX and X Corps. The division was further reduced when the 131st Brigade was also detached. It joined the 7th Armoured Division on 1 November, likewise as a lorried infantry brigade, as its original brigade (the 7th Motor) had been transferred to the 1st Armoured Division.

The Battle of El Alamein was the 44th Division's last action; it was disbanded on 31 January 1943. The 132nd and 133rd Brigade were dispersed, with the battalions ending up as British battalions in British Indian Army brigades. The 131st Brigade continued to serve with the 7th Armoured Division for the rest of the war, taking part in the rest of the North African Campaign, culminating in May 1943 with the surrender of almost 250,000 Axis soldiers as prisoners of war, the Allied invasion of Italy from September–November 1943, and in the campaign in North-West Europe from June 1944 until Victory in Europe Day in May 1945.


Men were expected to do basic training at their local Drill Hall, usually one or two nights a week, for which they received small expenses, and to attend an annual camp, when they were paid as full time soldiers. They also received a Bounty for regular attendance.

The TF was created for home defence but were asked to volunteer to serve abroad. Battalions garrisoned Malta and Gibraltar in September 1914 and the East Lancashire Division went to Egypt.

The first TF infantry sent to France were 14th battalion, London Regiment (London Scottish), who fought at Messines on 31st October 1914. The TF had their own port and base camp at Rouen and other units were gradually transferred to bolster the Expeditionary Force. TF Divisions fought on many fronts during the war.
After WW1 the TF was disbanded as the army reorganised on a peacetime basis, but in 1920 was reconstituted as The Territorial Army. In a long period of defence cuts the TA was an easy target and suffered from lack of money.

They continued to recruit and maintain a basic strength, holding their annual camps (which continued to be a draw for many men, promising a fortnight’s full army pay, good army food and the adventure of military training in the open). To aid recruiting some units added bars, billiard and reading rooms to their Drill Halls.

As WW2 loomed the Bounty and travelling expenses were increased and more allowances paid. By the summer of 1938, buoyed by new recruits, the TA was bigger than at any time after 1920. They were even beginning to see new equipment though, as ever, the Regulars took priority.

Most Yeomanry units replaced their horses with armoured cars. Other units retrained as searchlight and anti-aircraft units. The Munich Crisis of September 1938 saw 58,000 Territorials called up to man anti-aircraft guns around London and thousands more men were recruited. TA units trained alongside Regular Army units at their summer camps in 1938 and 1939.
On the outbreak of WW2 the Government formally incorporated the TA into the British Army. By early 1940 three former Territorial Divisions were in France, the 48th (South Midland), 50th (Northumbrian) and 51st (Highland). At Dunkirk 50th Division fought until their ammunition ran out to allow the maximum number of men to evacuate.

In the 1941 Syrian campaign the Cheshire Yeomanry became the last British unit to go into battle on horseback, crossing the frontier with swords, cap badges and stirrup irons blackened. Other TA units retrained as tank battalions and former TA units fought in the desert, in Italy, at D-Day and on into Germany.
A soldier emerges from the 'mud bath' during training at the 44th Division's battle school near Tonbridge in Kent, 22 April 1942.

Phoney war and Blitzkrieg: the territorial army in 1939–1940
At the ‘outbreak of war in 1939, the Regular army was augmented by Territorials and militia to make up the British Expeditionary Force. By May 1940, they had suffered serious defeats which, given that the Territorials had theoretically been training for years, raised worrying questions. Here Peter Caddick‐Adams explores why the TA was in fact so unprepared for war, tracing back from its initial deployment the roots the problems encountered in. out of date equipment, training, recruitment and leadership, highlighting the dichotomy’ between peacetime and wartime ‘needs. These shortcomings were exacerbated by a lack of understanding of German strength and tactics, which contributed to the defeats encountered in Belgium. After considering the credible performance of the TA against the odds, Captain Caddick‐Adams discusses the poor financing and lack of commitment on the part of the authorities during, the 1930s. Despite these difficulties, TA units performed credibly, and with increasing importance and ability throughout the war. While the TA may be much better integrated into toddy's military capabilities the author concludes that current feelings of under‐ funding and undervalue still prevail and need to be countered if today's TA is not to be taken for granted.

In the late 1930s neither the regular army nor the TA were getting enough recruits. In 1937-8 the regular army, with an establishment of about 200,000 was some 20,000 under strength, and took only 50,000 recruits compared to 70,000 in 1932. However, in April 1939 the Secretary of State for War announced the regular army's total strength as 224,000. The increasing threat of war was gaining recruits, particularly those who wanted to be sure of serving in the regiment or corps of their choice. Most TA units were well under strength, and in the 1930s their reduced establishment was only about 60% of war strength, but totaled some 436,000 including officers. TA artillery regiments had a regular army adjutant, regimental sergeant major and a small number of senior NCOs as 'permanent staff'.

According to the League of Nations Yearbook, there were about 140,000 reservists, although this figure excluded some 40,000 Supplementary Reservists mostly tradesmen whose civilian jobs were directly relevant to the army. However, most reservists were those completing their 12 years of service or had volunteered for reserve service after 12 years. There were three sections of these regular other-rank reservists, excluding the Supplementary:
A - Volunteers enrolled for 1 year at a time who agreed to be called out without Proclamation when 'warlike operations were in preparation or progress' (the Supplementary Reserve was also on this basis).
B - Men completing their 12 years of service.
C - Men who had completed 12 years service and volunteered for a further 4 years reserve service.
B and C were liable to call-out by Proclamation when there was 'imminent national danger', this also extended the service of regular soldiers due to complete their service with the colours. All three sections were liable for annual training but in practice this seldom if ever happened. All this left a substantial number of ex-regular soldiers who had not completed 21 years service and were not part of the Reserve.

There were also only 14,000 regular and 19,000 TA serving officers for the entire army. Regular officers who retired before the compulsory retiring age were liable for service in the Regular Army Reserve of Officers until they reached retiring age. There were also a few thousand reserve TA officers. Of course there were also many thousands of men in their 40s who had been officers in WW1 but were not officially reservists. To put all this in perspective nearly a quarter of a million army Emergency Commissions were granted in WW2.

Artillery strengths were:
31 Dec 1939 - 14,202 Officers, 312,309 Other ranks
31 Dec 1940 - 22,882 Officers, 443,457 Other ranks
31 Dec 1941 - 36,548 Officers, 642,188 Other ranks
Peak strength was reached in about June 1943 when all-rank totals for the British Army's arms were:
Royal Armoured Corps - 120,433
Royal Artillery - 699,993
Royal Engineers - 231,985
Royal Signals - 133,920
Infantry - 551,742
Of the RA totals about 40% was field artillery with about 7% officers, however, AA had only some 5% and Coast 3% officers.
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Friday, December 30, 2016

39-4-27 Conscription Introduced in Britain - 27 April 1939

Fact File : Conscription Introduced in Britain - 27 April 1939 
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1939-4-27 Conscription - Britain > .
1916-1-27: British Government's Military Service Act - WW1 Conscription - HiPo > .



World War Two – Conscription Definition
https://www.historyonthenet.com/world-war-two-conscription-definition/
https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/private-lives/yourcountry/overview/conscriptionww2/ .

Outcome: The British armed forces increased in number by more than 1.5 million by the end of the year conscription was introduced.

The Emergency Powers (Defence Act) of August 1938 had empowered the British government to take certain measures in defence of the nation and to maintain public order.

The Defence Act contained around 100 measures aimed at calling up military reservists and Air Raid Precautions (ARP) volunteers for mobilisation. It's estimated that about half a million people also volunteered to join the ARP, the Territorial Army (TA) and the RAF Volunteer Reserve. But volunteers were not enough.

The Military Training Act of 27 April 1939 responded to Hitler's threat of aggression in Europe. All British men aged *20 and 21 who were fit and able were required to take six months' military training*. Even so, when war broke out the British Army could muster only 897,000 men, compared to France's five million.

Another act of parliament was necessary to increase the numbers. The National Service (Armed Forces) Act made all able men between the ages of 18 and 41 liable for conscription; as part of the legislation it was decided that single men would be called to war before married men.

Men aged 20 to 23 were required to register on 21 October 1939 - the start of a long and drawn-out process of registration by age group, which only saw 40-year-olds registering in June 1941.

By the end of 1939 more than 1.5 million men had been conscripted to join the British armed forces. Of those, just over 1.1 million went to the British Army and the rest were split between the Royal Navy and the RAF.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/timeline/factfiles/nonflash/a1138664.shtml

For National Safety And British Freedom - Conscription (1939)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1ydF0vDeOs

The Story of Conscription
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XROrVLPUzY

Second World War of Conscription in the United Kingdom Top 19 Facts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrNVCuRe_O0

http://www.jonathanhware.com/doubling-the-ta.html .

Non-combatant military training - Canadian Newsreel - 1942 > .
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1939 jajn

Interbellum - economics, society - RaWa >> .
Appeasement, Isolationism vs Autocrats - RaWa >> .

39-4-27 Conscription Introduced in Britain - 27 April 1939
Fact File : Conscription Introduced in Britain - 27 April 1939

World War Two – Conscription Definition
https://www.historyonthenet.com/world-war-two-conscription-definition/

Outcome: The British armed forces increased in number by more than 1.5 million by the end of the year conscription was introduced.

The Emergency Powers (Defence Act) of August 1938 had empowered the British government to take certain measures in defence of the nation and to maintain public order.

The Defence Act contained around 100 measures aimed at calling up military reservists and Air Raid Precautions (ARP) volunteers for mobilisation. It's estimated that about half a million people also volunteered to join the ARP, the Territorial Army (TA) and the RAF Volunteer Reserve. But volunteers were not enough.

The Military Training Act of 27 April 1939 responded to Hitler's threat of aggression in Europe. All British men aged *20 and 21 who were fit and able were required to take six months' military training*. Even so, when war broke out the British Army could muster only 897,000 men, compared to France's five million.

Another act of parliament was necessary to increase the numbers. The National Service (Armed Forces) Act made all able men between the ages of 18 and 41 liable for conscription; as part of the legislation it was decided that single men would be called to war before married men.

Men aged 20 to 23 were required to register on 21 October 1939 - the start of a long and drawn-out process of registration by age group, which only saw 40-year-olds registering in June 1941.

By the end of 1939 more than 1.5 million men had been conscripted to join the British armed forces. Of those, just over 1.1 million went to the British Army and the rest were split between the Royal Navy and the RAF.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/timeline/factfiles/nonflash/a1138664.shtml

For National Safety And British Freedom - Conscription (1939)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1ydF0vDeOs

The Story of Conscription
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XROrVLPUzY

Second World War of Conscription in the United Kingdom Top 19 Facts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrNVCuRe_O0

http://www.jonathanhware.com/doubling-the-ta.html


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939
https://wwdeux.blogspot.com/2017/12/1939-jlau.html
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Wednesday, April 27, 2016

British Forces - 21st C

21-3-23 RADICAL RESHAPE For The UK Military - Forces > .
24-2-6 Exclusive: Head of UK Strategic Command's full in-depth interview - Forces > .
24-2-1 Could National Service fix British forces recruitment crisis? | Sitrep > .
24-1-20 Can Ruscia win the military production race? - Anders > .
Future - British Forces - Fyrd Færeld >> .
Manpower, Training 

Geostrategic Projection
European Geostrategic Projection ..

Logistics, Modeling, Strategy
Mahan & Naval Strategy .. 


22-6-27 Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to call for more military spending over Russian threat: Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is set to issue a call for more spending on the UK's armed forces in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He will give a speech on Tuesday - but has reportedly already asked the prime minister to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2028.

The UK is currently spending around 2% of GDP on defence, matching the target set by the NATO for member nations. The government announced an increase in military spending in 2020.

Wallace told a conference organised by the Royal United Services Institute think tank that, in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the threat has changed and governments must be prepared to invest more to keep people safe.

21-3-13 Ageing equipment puts [British] Army 'at risk' - [CDC] report: 

The British Army is likely to find itself "outgunned" in any conflict with Russian forces, MPs have warned. In a damning report, the Commons Defence Committee described efforts to modernise the Army's fleet of Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFV) as "woeful". In the report - entitled 'Obsolescent and outgunned' - the committee highlighted the "bureaucratic procrastination" and "general ineptitude" which had "bedevilled" attempts to re-equip the Army over the past two decades. The ageing and depleted fleet puts the Army at "serious risk" of being outmatched by adversaries, it states. The Ministry of Defence has promised "an upgraded, digitised and networked armoured force to meet future threats".

In 1990, the UK had around 1,200 main battle tanks in its inventory, today it has 227 - the report states. It said armoured vehicle capability had reached "a point of batch obsolescence, falling behind that of our allies and potential adversaries".

The report comes ahead of publication of the government's Integrated Review of foreign, defence, security and development policy, which will be set out by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on 21-3-16. Described as the most important defence review since the end of the Cold War, it is expected to focus on developing new technology such as robots, autonomous systems and meeting new threats in the domains of space and cyber.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "We thank the Defence Committee for their report and acknowledge their recommendations as we look to improve the management of our large and complex equipment programmes.

Selection and training, British Army w

23-3-22 Defence review: British army to be cut to 72,500 troops by 2025 [=4K fewer]: 

Following the publication last week of the separate so-called integrated review [above] of foreign and defence policy, ministers have said big changes are necessary to create a more agile military. As part of that review, the government increased the cap on UK nuclear warheads from 180 to 260.

"The size of the Army is to be reduced to 72,500 soldiers by 2025 as part of a move towards drones and cyber warfare. The Army currently has 76,500 personnel and has not been at its "established strength" of 82,000 troops since the middle of the last decade.

A cut to the size of the Army - with a reduction of 10,000 - had been anticipated. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced a cut to the target for the number of fully-trained people in the Army, from 82,040 today to 72,500 in 2025. "Full-time trained strength" is the number of soldiers who have completed both their general, basic training and a second phase of specialised training for a specific role. 

However, the Army is not currently meeting its target - there are actually 76,350 such soldiers in the Army, which is almost 6,000 short [of prior target]. So the Ministry of Defence is already well on the way to getting down to its new target.

The changes set out in the paper - titled Defence in a Competitive Age - include £3bn for new vehicles, long-range rocket systems, drones, electronic warfare and cyber capabilities. The government plans to increase the UK defence budget by £24bn over the next four years. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace set out plans for new capabilities such as electronic warfare and drones in a command paper in the Commons. He said "increased deployability and technological advantage" meant greater effect could be delivered by fewer people. "These changes will not require redundancies and we wish to build on the work already done on utilising our reserves to make sure the whole force is better integrated and more productive."

Announcing the major overhaul of the armed forces, Wallace said it marked a shift from "mass mobilisation to information age speed", insisting they must be able to "seek out and understand" new threats to the country's security.

The plan sets out how forces will spend more time overseas to support allies and deter hostile powers, such as Russia. Wallace said previous reviews had been "overambitious and underfunded leaving forces that were overstretched and underequipped".

As part of the military restructure, the Royal Marines will be transformed into a new Future Commando Force, taking on many of the traditional tasks of the special forces - the SAS and SBS (Special Air Service and Special Boat Service).

The force will receive more than £200m of direct investment over the next decade to carry out maritime security operations and to "pre-empt and deter sub-threshold activity, and counter state threats".

Other changes announced include:
Protector: UK's New American-made Drone > .

Boris Johnson spoke to NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg ahead of the announcement and gave reassurances that increased investment would take the UK's total defence spending to 2.2% of GDP - above the NATO target

"Throughout the last year and a half the issue of recruiting has become increasingly public, resulting in the Chief of the General Staff and the Chief of the Defence Staff having to defend the Army and explain the situation openly. In April 2018 the National Audit Office reported that regular personnel across the military were down by 5.7% or 8200 people, with the Army being down by 4000 troops. Meg Hillier MP, chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee has branded this ‘unsustainable’.

However, it is not just recruitment that is the issue; the British Army has a less well reported, but unsustainable problem with retention. After all, recruitment would be far less of an issue if soldiers were not leaving the Army at such a rapid rate. This speed of this exodus means that currently the Army cannot recruit in anything like the numbers required to fill the gaps of those leaving, resulting in an ever shrinking army and serious pinch points developing in key areas such as Engineering and Intelligence. Retention is a huge problem and something must be done to address it.

Many regiments are seriously affected by this, The Scots Guards, for example, has only 469 soldiers, a deficit of 260 or 37%. This leaves them, as well as other units in a similar position, frankly unable to deploy in their primary warfighting role without ‘borrowing’ companies from elsewhere, affecting the combat effectiveness of the Army as a whole."

Mutual Support: Maximising the Army Reserve:

Battlefields of Future? ..
Bionic Troops? ..
British Forces - 21st C ..
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Monday, April 4, 2016

"Your Year For Germany"

21-5-21 Young Volunteers: How Germany is Expanding its Home Reserves - Forces > .
23-1-26 Germany's military in dire state. Fix? | DW > .
22-12-29 German Rearmament: Is it going wrong? - mah > .

Young volunteers in Germany are being offered seven months military training as part of a new scheme. In return, they must complete five months service over a six-year period.

Spend a year serving your country. Twenty years ago the idea sounded old-fashioned—so old-fashioned that most of the countries that had national service did away with it. But threats to democracies are growing, and, what’s more, Western societies are fragmenting. The concept of serving one’s country—whether in the armed forces or a care home—is making a return.

Germany’s Minister of Defence, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, officially launched the Freiwilliger Wehrdienst im Heimatschutz or “voluntary military service in homeland security” programme in Berlin on Tuesday last week. The programme aims to encourage volunteers to take a year off to serve with the armed forces, before starting a career or studies.

Volunteers who are accepted will enter three months of basic military training, which will take place across 13 locations in Germany. They will then take part in specialist training, in which they will learn how to defend different structures, like depots, apartments and bridges.

Following seven months of training, recruits will then serve five months in reserve exercises or assignments within the following six years. Recruits will be deployed as close as possible to where they live and have the opportunity to learn based on their personal interests.

[Predictably] Several criticisms of the new programme have been raised, ranging from concerns around giving recruits as young as 17 the opportunity to use a rifle, to the name of the programme itself. The German word Heimatschutz (or “homeland security”) has far-right far-wrong connotations, which has drawn unfavourable comparisons to reports of far-right far-wrong extremism in the Bundeswehr.

Kramp-Karrenbauer has defended the use of the controversial word, saying that the problem was that far-right far-wrong extremists had been allowed to appropriate it. Lieutenant General Markus Laubenthal has since said that recruits would be screened to prevent anyone with far-right far-wrong ideals from joining the programme.

Since 2011, the German army has become a specialist army and is less than ever in need of conscripted recruits. However, two issues have fueled a renewed debate about whether a voluntary form of military or civilian service should be introduced in Germany. These issues are the growing polarization of society and the rise of far-right far-wrong extremism in the military, as exemplified recently by the discovery of such extremists in the ranks of the elite KSK commando force.

"Your year for Germany" is the title given to Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer's idea. It would complement the voluntary military service that already exists; this service is paid and can last up to 23 months. Some 9,000 young people — more men than women — have taken up the offer in recent times.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/04/national-service-germany-usa-ask-what-you-can-do-for-your-country/ .

History of concept:
A One-year volunteer, short EF (de: Einjährig-Freiwilliger), was, in a number of national armed forces, a conscript who agreed to pay his own costs for the procurement of equipment, food and clothing, in return for spending a shorter-than-usual term on active military service and the opportunity for promotion to Reserve Officers.

The Austrian Bundesheer still recruits their reserve officers from one-year volunteers. It also uses this means to assess the suitability of aspirant officers to begin specialized studies in "military command and control" (C2) at the Theresian Military Academy in the Wiener Neustadt.

The "one-year volunteer service" (Einjährig-Freiwilligen-Dienst) was first introduced 1814 in Prussia and was inherited by the German Empire from 1871 until 1918. It was also used by the Austro-Hungarian Army, from 1868 until 1918, and the Austro-Hungarian Navy. One-year volunteers also existed in the national armies of Bavaria, France and Russia.

Hiwi, the German abbreviation of the word Hilfswilliger or, in English, auxiliary volunteer, designated, during WW2, the member of different kinds of voluntary auxiliary forces made up of recruits indigenous to the territories of Eastern Europe occupied by Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler reluctantly agreed to allow recruitment of Soviet citizens in the Rear Areas during Operation Barbarossa. In a short period of time, many of them were moved to combat units.

Volunteer Reserves (United Kingdom) .
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igitur quī dēsīderat pācem praeparet bellum    therefore, he who desires peace, let him prepare for war sī vīs pācem, parā bellum if you wan...

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