Thanks to Ash for taking the time to chat. I get a lot of questions from people joining the Reserves, and I think this episode really brings that path to life, and hopefully answers questions for some people.

If there’s anything we haven’t covered, pop them below and I’ll see if we can get the answer!

I was part of 97 Signal Squadron in 2001-2 which was a compulsory call up- but we all volunteered beforehand to go. We were the Signal Squadron for BRITFOR in Bosnia and we had people serving with 600 troop in Corsham and helped out with the regular army squadrons in Pristina Kosovo.

My reserve unit was 57 Signal Squadron, part of 39 Signal Regiment, out of Bristol. 57 is long disbanded now.

Ex reservist from 1997 to 2009. I joined as a soldier into the RLC, but at the end of my recruits course was recommended to consider a commission. I had an engineering degree prior to application. I also got a decent graduate job at the very same time, and although they gave me "reservist leave" for 2 weeks a year on top of my usual vacation, the time commit required was just too much to try for a commission. After many courses, exercises and weekends, that was validated seeing my officers and many SNCO's having to rock up a day earlier if not longer for weekends, and even longer for annual "camps" highlighted that challenge. I started in my local TA unit with the weekly Tuesday nights, then moved to a national unit where that isn't a factor, driven due to time commuting from work to get to a weekday parade. It all depends on your civilian career to make this work to have that second career which is more and more difficult. You can see this in the cadet services right now as well where volunteer adult officer staff are in serious short supply. My cadet unit (Air Training corps) when I was there pre university was so large it had a Squadron Leader CO (which I think was very rare), 2 other officers and an adult Warrant Officer. This week, I found out it's lead by an adult Sergeant and thats it, and I understand thats similar in the ACF and SCC. Yes cadets isn't Reservists, but the point on volunteer leaders is the same I think, you have to be so fortunate to have a very flexible civi career to make reservist life work, and an even more flexible family life.

Ex reserve.  Served with London Scottish  as a private, transferred to 289 commando reserve battery for 29 as an officer cadet, ended up at the HAC for the last 6 months. Loved this interview, it hit at different levels.

Dan, I find your social media balance refreshing: interviewing blinkered knobs as well as those with quiet dignity.

Fantastic! We don't hear enough about reservists experiences!!!

There are definite structural issues facing the reserves.
You mention the varying skill level which is very true. But also there's a high attrition rate – a revolving door of soldiers coming through and leaving. You can imagine what retention is like when people can leave any time. So not only might you not get much service out of them if they only stick around for a year, but even those around for longer may not really progress, whether that's due to their attendance or the limited training time. This is even more true further up the ranks where you're expected to have the skill and experience of regular NCOs. It's not possible in 27 days.

Ultimately if someone wants to have a good army reserve career they need to get away with the regular army, and have the initiative to pursue opportunities beyond their company.

I was put off joining years ago, a reserve officer saying id only be good as a chef in front of other people while simply waiting for a mate. That base got shutdown years ago but the memory of how easy officers can shape peoples direction without realising it was a good lesson.

Love your content. I’m a retired RAF Sgt and enjoying the candid insight into Army life.
Keep it coming 👍🍿

I was HQ Coy, 4 RGJ at Davies Street, which later became F Coy, 7 Rifles. Sadly the location has been demolished for a bijou hotel...

Great episode as a current reservist. I am looking to apply as an officer within the next 12 months, so your channel is a gold mine for me! However, I am planning to apply to be an officer in the Royal Marines, I wonder if you have considered getting someone on who’s done this, perhaps talking on the differences in the joining/ training process + differences in what you do after training.

Link to his podcast?????

There are also difficulties that I hope are now ironed out. Twice I was given joining orders for Telic and then cancelled at short notice. When you have to make arrangements to cover your regular employment that’s very frustrating. As I felt I wasn’t needed, I resigned my commission. Six months after my leaving date, I was contacted by LAND requesting me to join Herrick! They were unaware that I was out!! They said they were short-handed in my specialty so I agreed that I’d go for three months but that was as much as I could manage as two of my work staff were leaving to go travelling. That was ok until….. they added that I would have to take a month compulsory leave from work after the 3 months. I said that I would have to go back to work not take leave but that wasn’t a problem for me… but it was for them. So it was thanks but no thanks from them. A few weeks later LAND, Brigade and my Unit were arguing over who was at fault. I don’t think my experience was unique; I was subsequently told by the Colonel “Many at LAND don’t understand the TA at all”. That was 20 years ago and I sincerely hope messes like that are consigned to history

It's a shame he didn't go with the GBAD unit. It would be nice to have more people like him in our regiment. I think he should have clarified with what the requirements are for us during each training year. Especially on the weekends. I don't know if things are slightly different with infantry reservists, but in my regiment, we have to do 4 assured weekends, 1 ACMT weekend, ACT/2 week camp, and 27 days a year. Of course we also have to do ITR's as well. He's spot on with the training problem. Even when I did my basic training, they were trying to cram so much into such a short space of time. Even with my current unit, the weekends feel like survival mode. Trying to do too much in one go.

An extremely difficult position in which to find oneself is when one is part of a highly-trained and capable organization that is not permitted to act against a clear and present threat because the politicians know the general public isn't going to support decisive action. That's why World War II happened - the so-called "great powers" of Britain and France appeased and dithered because that was the easiest course of action. We are doing precisely the same today as Russia continues to attack the West but now we call it "escalation management" instead of appeasement so that's all right then. And when we say "hybrid warfare" that somehow means Russian cyber attacks, sabotage operations, assassination operations, and endless disinformation campaigns are just something we ignore because we're all rather good chaps and don't want to do anything that might jeopardise the jolly mood at Ascot next weekend.

Army Reserves - military enthusiasm doesn't always translate into military efficiency...
Units where military roles replicate civilian roles, like medics or cyber etc. can be extremely good. The teeth arms, less so. It's not a reflection on the calibre of the people who volunteer, just on the very limited training opportunities and resources that they have.

I hear the reserve commissioning course is pretty punchy, has a high failure rate. Good to hear his perspectives

I’d be interested to know how ex-Regulars fair in the reserves

The British Empire? Don't make me laugh!

I can see it all clearly.

Only about 30% of people support you. The remaining 70% could become your enemies.

These guys have nothing on the pre-1990s British officer types.  What has befallen the British military is a tragedy for the West.