News

March 13th 2024

Lance Corporal Frances Reed is an Army Reservist with 350 (The Robin Hood Foresters) Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, based in Nottingham.

In September 2023, the 33-year-old volunteered to be deployed on Op Tosca – a six-month peacekeeping mission – which is her first mobilisation since joining the Reserves a decade earlier.

LCpl Reed, who is from Chesterfield, said: “I was absolutely buzzing when told that I had been selected to deploy.

“I enjoyed the mobilisation training, especially the platoon attacks and working in a mixed team of Regular and Reservist Soldiers.

“The Army Reserve has given me opportunities for travel before, especially for sports and adventure training to places like Gibraltar and Austria, but putting our training in practice out here has been a totally new experience.”

Reserve Forces play a critical role in national defence and security, from countering threats, peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts abroad, to supporting communities and national resilience at home.

Together, the Royal Naval Reserves, Royal Marines Reserve, Army Reserves, and RAF Reserves make up roughly 18% of Britain’s Armed Forces, and they’re actively recruiting.

On the Mediterranean island, LCpl Reed was responsible for leading a team of four Soldiers as part of a section in the Mobile Force Reserve, which can be deployed anywhere in the 180km-long buffer zone between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

She added: “Being on a peacekeeping mission has been different from what we normally train for, which is combat engineering tasks like bridge building and demolitions.

“In Cyprus, the history of violence between the two communities is still very raw at times. It can be a challenge when we are working in the buffer zone, as peacekeepers have to be impartial and not take sides.”

One of the highlights of her tour was successfully conquering an assault course and overcoming driving challenges in the UN’s Peacekeeping Skills competition.

She said: “I got to be part of a section that included Gurkhas and British Regular Soldiers. It was great to take part in a competition against teams from across the UN in Cyprus, especially as we won.”

Reservists back home normally commit to 27 days a year split across evenings, weekends, and an annual two week training exercise.

LCpl Reed found she adjusted well to the more intense commitments of the mobilisation and thanked her family and her employer, Sherwood Forest Hospitals Foundation Trust – holders of the Silver Award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme – for their significant support.

She added: “Reservists bring a lot of extra skills ‘to the party’ and the Army Regulars have found out that we Reservists are just as capable as they are.

“I would encourage others to join the Army Reserves. If you commit to it, you will get out more than you put in.”

Want to push outside of your comfort zone? For information on joining 350 Field Squadron please contact 75engr-350-remso-multiuser@mod.gov.uk.