Big_Shep
4 PARA
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2020
- Messages
- 77
- Reaction score
- 196
A lot of the negative perceptions stem from one harsh but fundamental fact: Regulars do not have civilian jobs! They are in effect single role, always under 1 and 2-up scrutiny, receive 100% investment to the degree that even the family ‘comes a close second’- something most civilians have never quite got their head around. Some of them can’t relate what it means to earn a living outside of wearing kit.
Conversely, most Reserves have a civvie career that is their primary source of income. When they are not ‘working in Tesco’ they only train on weekly ‘drill nights’, fortnightly weekends, and an annual concentration leaving very little civilian-job allocated leave for Regular battalion OTXs, career courses and adventurous training, and of course not necessarily in that order!
In my experience though the relationship between our bosses and regular bosses was a bridge well gapped by fantastic regular training majors and top SNCO PSI’s. Every 4 PARA company usually generated a third of their strength for drill nights and training weekends at any one time during my time. So the regs could always plan for one full platoon per Sub-Unit who will be well-trained and current to form the deployable Coy Gp.
Shep
Conversely, most Reserves have a civvie career that is their primary source of income. When they are not ‘working in Tesco’ they only train on weekly ‘drill nights’, fortnightly weekends, and an annual concentration leaving very little civilian-job allocated leave for Regular battalion OTXs, career courses and adventurous training, and of course not necessarily in that order!
In my experience though the relationship between our bosses and regular bosses was a bridge well gapped by fantastic regular training majors and top SNCO PSI’s. Every 4 PARA company usually generated a third of their strength for drill nights and training weekends at any one time during my time. So the regs could always plan for one full platoon per Sub-Unit who will be well-trained and current to form the deployable Coy Gp.
Shep