News
December 5th 2013
Launch of New Name for Part Time Soldiers
The British Army takes collection of new signage which marks a new era for the country’s part-time soldiers as the Territorial Army, after more than 100 years of successful service to the nation, is transformed into the Army Reserve.
Army Reserve Soldiers collected their new signs from the manufactures, Greenshires Group in Leicester, before they are unveiled at 360 Army Reserve Centres across the country.
Soldiers in the Army Reserve will now see themselves fully integrated into the British Army. The use of Army Reservists to provide security at the 2012 London Olympics demonstrated how the Army Reserve is now used in a much wider variety of roles than in the past.
Improved terms of service will see Army Reservists benefit from paid leave and public sector pensions, in addition to the existing Army pay and tax free annual ‘bounty’ (up to £1,691 in 2013). Further enhancements include more access to paid sports and adventurous training, more overseas deployments and training, and increased training for civilian qualifications.
The Army Reserve is set to double in size by 2020, to provide 30,000 trained soldiers in an fully integrated Army of 112,000. There are 220 trades available to Army Reservists, with options to serve from 19 days a year to full time service. The average commitment of an Army Reservist is 27 days a year.
Integration within the Army will be cemented by pairing Regular and Reserve units with similar roles, which will mean sharing deployments, training, welfare support, adventurous training, sports, and social activities.
