News

June 23rd 2025

Corporal Janet Thompson, a medic with 203 (Loughborough) Transport Squadron, part of 159 Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps, has trekked through jaw-dropping alpine scenery in Switzerland, travelled to far-flung corners of the globe, and jumped out of a hovering helicopter.

And next year she will celebrate a significant milestone: 30 years of continuous service.

Stepping out of your comfort zone

Corporal Thompson, who originally joined as a driver before serving as a vehicle mechanic and later a medic, said: “People often ask what keeps me coming back for more and I think it’s all of those unique opportunities, the great people you meet and getting out of your comfort zone from time to time. That’s something very unique about the Reserves.

“Over 30 years there have been a number of standout memories. One of my favourites was the time I spent with the Australian Army Reserves.

“I loved being in the Reserves, it was part of my identity, so when I left England for Australia in 1999 to work as an agency nurse for 18 months I transferred to the Australian Army Reserves, who trained out of Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane.”

The 55-year-old, who trains out of the Army Reserve Centre on Leicester Road, added: “The part-time commitment gave me the freedom to go travelling. I also went on camp with the unit in the bush. It was a great opportunity.”

As well as spending time with the Australian Army Reserves, Corporal Thompson has spent time on exercise with the British Army in Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Switzerland and the USA.

Reserve Forces

Reservists are people of all ages who train with the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army or Royal Air Force alongside their day-to-day jobs.

Dubbed ‘twice the citizen’ by Winston Churchill, Reservists are paid to train in their spare time, combining part-time military commitments with their normal day-to-day life. The typical commitment is 27 days a year, spread across evenings, weekends and training weeks.

There are currently more than 32,000 Reservists in the UK, forming around 17% of the nation’s Armed Forces, and recruitment is ongoing.

In 2003, Corporal Thompson returned home from a Forces road rally to find a formal call-up notice waiting for her.

She, along with thousands of other Reservists, was called up to take part in Operation Telic, the codename for the UK’s military involvement in the 2003 Iraq war. It was the largest mobilisation of Reserve Forces since World War Two.

Unlike most deployment notices, such was the urgency of the call-up that she was given 14 days to prepare before flying out on a six-month tour.

Corporal Thompson, who works in the healthcare sector and is also a carer for her mum, added: “After I read the notice my head was spinning. We used to call ourselves the SAS – Saturdays and Sundays – but it was for real then. We had done all of this training and now we needed to go somewhere and do something with it.

“Iraq showed me how resilient I could be. It was a tough time but very rewarding and I’m proud of the role I played.”

Corporal Thompson added: “When things had calmed down, a group of us were invited into Basra for a barbecue.

“Driving back we came across a Land Rover that had rolled over, leaving a Soldier with a real nasty cut. I went to her and helped out and afterwards she came looking for me to say thank you. It’s great knowing that things like that can make such a difference.”

London 2012

Another standout moment in uniform came when Corporal Thompson was called-up to support the delivery of the now iconic London 2012 Olympic Games.

She said: “My job was security at the Olympic Stadium. I got to meet Mo Farah, who was a really nice bloke, and Louis Smith too, a great guy, and quite a few other celebrities. They were all really friendly and happy to have selfies.

“I was there for Super Saturday too [when Ennis-Hill won the heptathlon, Greg Rutherford took gold in the long jump and Mo Farah stormed to 10,000m gold]. The atmosphere was electric, everyone was buzzing.

“It really was a summer like no other, something that will never happen in my lifetime again.”

Despite the memories and standout achievements, there’s one thing that has, so far, eluded Corporal Thompson.

Corporal Thompson added: “I joined the Reserves in 1996 after encouragement from my friend Emma. She told me about the opportunity for adventure and trying different things and I thought to myself, ‘I like the sound of that.’

“I really wanted to get a motorbike licence and she also told me I could get that too and ride an Armstrong motorcycle. So far I’ve managed to get everything I wanted, even HGV and C+E licences, but not that one.

“Emma also told me you get a little bit of money but it’s never been about the money. It’s about doing something different.

“To anyone reading this who also fancies doing something different, challenging themselves and getting out of their comfort zone, I would just say do it.”

Search ‘Army Reserves’ to find out more about service commitments, benefits and your nearest unit.