© Crowm Copyright MOD
RESERVISTS
A Sense of Duty F
or some men and woman across the UK, the weekend represents the time when they pull on their military uniform and do their
bit for the country. There are 40,000 Volunteer Reservists based in
the UK, comprising the Territorial Army, Royal Marines Reserve, Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Reservists come from a diverse range of backgrounds – teachers, lawyers, builders, doctors, policemen – but each has an important part to play in the UK’s military capability. They make up around 25% of the nation’s Armed Forces manpower. Reservists undergo rigorous training so they
can take their place alongside their Regular coun- terparts when they are needed. They train one evening per week and every other weekend, plus a two-week training course once a year. Reservists carry out a huge variety of roles across the military and provide some specialist capabilities which it would be impractical to maintain on a full-time basis. These often bring skills and experience from their civilian roles, for example, transport special- ists, linguistics, doctors and communications spe- cialists. When reservists talk about the benefits of their
military career, they often mention the friend- ships they make, the camaraderie amongst their unit and the pride of serving their country. Many reservists also talk about the skills and experience they gain which helps them in their civilian ca- reers. This includes specific qualifications such as HGV driving license, first aid or handling hazard- ous materials as well as ‘soft skills’ such as experi- ence in leadership, teamwork, initiative, reliability and managing people. Reservists are also often given a much higher
level of responsibility earlier in their military ca- reer than in their civilian employment. For exam- ple, a platoon commander in his or her early 20s may be responsible for managing around 30 peo- ple – management experience which can easily be transferred to the civilian workplace. Many employers recognise the value of the skills
and experience their reservist employees gain through being a member of the Reserve Forces. This value is highlighted by recent research by the SaBRE campaign (Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers), which calculated that each year
Sammy Bleakley
the average reservist receives the equivalent of £8,327 worth of civilian training. As we have seen in recent years, the UK military
relies greatly on the contribution made by the Re- serve Forces. Since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, more than 21,000 reservists have served alongside their regular counterparts on operations around the world. They make up around nine per- cent of British Forces in Afghanistan. Now, more than ever, the support of employers is crucial. Without their support, reservists would struggle to balance their military and civilian commitments. On June 26, events will be taking place across
the country as part of UK Armed Forces Day to en- able the public to show support for, and apprecia- tion of, all those who serve in the military. The day before, many reservists will also take part in Uni- form to Work Day, which aims to highlight that there are people who work alongside us who show immense dedication and commitment in serving our country. We hope that on this Uniform to Work Day, employers will take the opportunity to consider how they support their reservist employ- ees to enable them to carry out this duty. •
For information on the Reserve Forces please visit
www.sabre.mod.uk
During the week, Sammy Bleakley is a senior supervi- sor for Marshalls Scaffold but at the weekend he is a Sergeant in the Territorial Army (TA). Bleakley has been in the TA for 22 years and has been mobilised three times including twice to Iraq.
Like many reservists, Bleak- ley has used his military skills in his civilian job: he first started working for Mar- shalls as a driver using the HGV licence that he acquired through the TA.
His manager for the past five years, Eric Morton, says that you can see qualities that Sammy has developed from his military career: ‘Sammy is a great manager and com- municator. He can motivate the guys that he works with to bring them together as a team. He also has a great sense of responsibility, which is essential when you are working in the construction industry where health and safety are so important.’
Bleakley confirms that Morton’s support has been really important: ‘Eric has always been truly supportive of my Reserve Force com- mitments, particularly during my tours to Iraq.’
80 SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
www.armedforcesday.org.uk
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