The Volunteer Reserves are the British Armed Forces voluntary and part-time military reserve force.[1] Unlike the Regular Reserve, the Volunteer Reserves do not consist of ex-Regular personnel who remain liable to be re-called for military service.[nb 1] Instead, the Volunteer Reserves consists of civilian volunteers who routinely undergo training and military operations alongside the Regular military. The Volunteer Reserves serve under a fixed-term reserve contract and provide "highly trained" military personnel integrated with their Regular counterparts, on operations both at home and overseas. For example, almost every major military operation has seen the deployment of Army Reservists alongside the Regular British Army.[2] Volunteer Reserves are allowed to use the post-nominal letters VR after 10 years of service.[3]
The Volunteer Reserves also includes the armed forces University Service Units (incl. below). These units receive reserve training designed to fit around their undergraduate degrees and seek to develop leadership, as well as partaking in military exercises, and opportunities outside of their degree including adventurous training and expeditions, members of these units however have 'no call out liability' (See Call-out below) during their time in their respective unit. Members are under no obligation to continue a career with the armed forces after university.[4][5][6][7]
- ^ "Future Reserves 2020 – The Independent Commission to review the United Kingdom's Reserve Forces" (PDF). 18 July 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
- ^ The Army Reserve, army.mod.uk, Accessed 11 December 2014
- ^ [1], UK Government, Accessed 16 May 2015
- ^ "Reserve Forces and Cadets - Ministry of Defence" (PDF). mod.gov.uk. 1 April 2015.
- ^ "University Officers' Training Corps | The British Army". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "University Royal Naval Unit". Lowland Reserve Forces & Cadets Association. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
- ^ "RAF Recruitment | University Air Squadrons | Royal Air Force". recruitment.raf.mod.uk. Retrieved 2024-12-11.
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