Members
1,3 MLN
28
6
Belgium
The Royal Belgian National Association of Reserve Officers
www.thebelgianreserve.beFOUNDING MEMBER
The former “mass reserve” concept has been replaced by a “small-scale reserve” as much as possible integrated within the Forces, well trained and deployable on a voluntary basis or within the framework of special commitments, missions or tasks. The need for reservists necessary to complete and reinforce the Belgian Armed Forces has been assessed currently at a maximum of 6 000 posts. The number of trained reservists will be limited at 3 000 functions integrated in active units or Staff level in order to facilitate the functioning and to reinforce units in all circumstances. Reservists can be found in the four military components (Marine, Land, Medical & Air) and as well in the new formed Cyber Command. These reservists (male or female) are former regular soldiers (with 10 years period of military liabilities after the end of service), retired regulars, reservists from the mandatory militia service before 1993 and new voluntary reservists.
France
National Union of Reserve Officers
www.unor-reserves.frFOUNDING MEMBER
The operational reserves comprise 77,000 people, 7,000 of whom are employed every day which makes 30 days of annual activity on the average. The distribution of ranks follows that of the regular army. 17% officers, 39% non-commissioned officers and 44% rank-and-file military personnel. The guidelines for the use of reservists are managed by the Human Resources of each force (Land 30%, Air 8%, Navy 8%, Services 5%, Gendarmerie 40% and National Police 9%) and are grouped together by the Joint Delegate to the Reserve Armies (he will also define the number of participants in CIOR). Only a few dozens of reservists under OPEX are foreseen to be outside the country. Women represent 20% and men 80% of the total number of reservists. Their operational jobs are at all levels of command, in internal surveillance operations as well as in operations Résilience or Sentinelle alike. In 2022-2023 UNOR will work in close cooperation with the Minister of the Armies to succeed in its mission to double the number of operational reserves to 170,000 people.
Netherlands
Royal Association of Dutch Reserve Officers
www.kvnro.nlFOUNDING MEMBER
There are 4 branches, 3 of which (Navy, Army Air Force) are under operational command of the CDS (Overall Commander of the Armed Forces), a 4* general. The 4th branch (Military Police) has a different line of command, due to its special legal status. All branches are composed of regular military personnel, reserve military personnel and civilians. As stated above the Netherlands Armed Forces are transitioning into a Total Force, where there is no difference anymore between regular and reserve soldiers. However, this goal has not been reached yet. The Netherlands Armed Forces comprises 68,500 Personnel (41,500 Regular Military, 20,300 Civilians and 6,700 Reservists). Divided over the branches: Navy: 11,500 (7,700 regular, 2,600 civilians, 1,200 reservists) Army: 23,800 (16,300 regular,3,300 civilians, 4,200 reservists) Air Force: 8,200 (6,500 regular, 1,000 civilians, 700 reservists) Military Police 7,600 (6,520 regular, 760 civilians, 320 reservists) Support and Overhead 17,400 (4,480 regular, 12,640 civilians, 280 reservists). The support and overhead units/departments are staffed with persons from all 4 branches. Since the suspension of conscription, all military personnel are volunteers. Regulars are full-timers and reservists are part-timers. Basic military training is more or less the same for all, but further training is dependent on task and function. Training of reservists is individualized and dependent on the function and is the responsibility of the unit commander. At least once a year, every soldier (independent of rank or grade) has to prove that both his/her basic military skills as well as his/her physical fitness are meeting the required standards. This yearly test is also the responsibility of the unit commander. Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine this year, the government has decided to increase investment in the Armed Forces in the next few years as follows: 2022: € 14.808 million = 1.61 % of GDP 2023: € 15.751 million = 1.68 % of GDP 2024: € 19.382 million = 2.03 % of GDP 2025: € 19.566 million = 2.01 % of GDP 2026: € 18.034 million = 1.83 % of GDP