History of the RMP - British Army Website History of the RMP History of the RMP Britain's Royal Military Police claims to have a tradition of service to the Crown and Nation longer than any regiment or corps with an antecedence stretching back to at least 1241, when Henry II appointed one William of Cassingham as a Military 'Sergeant of the Peace'. He and his Under-Provosts were the ancestors of the modern Royal Military Police. Provost Companies As the Provost Marshal's office gradually assumed more and more duties of a policing nature within the Army, he was provided with State-paid troops, referred to in Henry VIII's day as Provost Companies the term still used today to describe a formed body of Military Police. The first recorded Provost Marshal in English history of whom there is a personal record, is one Sir Henry Guldeford (or Guylford) appointed in 1511. The Provost Marshal was responsible for maintaining discipline within the English armies together with the King's personal security. He was also described as the 'first and greatest gaoler of the Army'.

Britain's first standing military police force came into being in 1813, when the Duke of York, Commander-in-Chief of the British Army proposed the formation of a Staff Corps of Cavalry to be attached to the Adjutant-General. Commanding Officers of Cavalry Regiments were then ordered to submit the names of soldiers to serve in this new unit, detachments of which were allotted to each division of the Peninsular Army, similar to today's Provost Companies, which allocated to every manoeuvre and logistic brigade. The Red Cap Wellington asked for a Provost Marshal to be appointed to hang looters and by the end of the Peninsular War the Provost Marshal controlled 24 Assistant Provost Marshals. The Assistants were also authorised to hang offenders and eventually each division had its own Assistant Provost Marshal.

Until a uniform was approved, members of the Staff Corps of Cavalry were identified by a red scarf tied around the right shoulder of their original uniform, which while some consider this to have been the origin of the famous 'Red Cap' of the Royal Military Police and its forebears, it was certainly the most likely precursor of the 'MP' armband (and now the Tactical Recognition Flash), which identifies the modern Military Policeman or Policewoman. Although disbanded in 1814 at the end of the Peninsular War, following Napoleon's defeat at the battle of Waterloo the Duke of Wellington re-formed the Staff Corps of Cavalry to police the occupying British Army in France. Later, in the Crimean War, a Mounted Staff Corps comprised of almost 100 troopers from the Police Constabulary of Ireland, with some recruited from the Metropolitan Police, was established to prevent the theft of supplies and to maintain discipline in camps. This 'Corps' was disbanded with the cessation of hostilities.

Mounted Military Police Back at home, a Mounted Military Police (MMP) Corps was formed of man with 'at least 5 years service, of sober habits, intelligent, active and discreet' on 13th June 1855, to police the new Army cantonment at Aldershot. This development was the beginning of the existing organisation of the Corps of Military Police. On 1 August 1877, the Military Mounted Police was formerly established as a distinct Corps for service both at home and abroad, and it is from this date that the RMP claims its current place in the British Army's 'Order of Battle'. In 1882, a Military Foot Police (MFP) was raised as a separate Corps for service in Egypt. An enormous expansion of the MMP and the MFP role saw the number of troops engaged on Provost related tasks increased to about 25,000 all ranks by the end of the First World War, where the Military Police had began to be employed on operational tasks: route control; host-nation liaison; and straggler control.

In 1927, the MMP and the MFP were amalgamated to form the Corps of Military Police (CMP) with an initial strength of 508 all ranks, the same as the combined strength of the two units before the war in 1914. In the 1930s CMP was radically reorganised: in 1935 Provost companies and sections were formed with fixed establishments, in 1937, a Field Security Wing (the 'Green Hats') was formed, although it was transferred to a new Intelligence Corps in 1940, some 800 Automobile Association scouts joined the Supplementary reserve of the CMP between 1938 and the outbreak of war; and again in 1938 direct enlistment from civilian life into CMP was allowed for the first time. Second World War During the Second World War, the Corps expanded from its pre-war peacetime establishment of 4,121 to over 32,000 by 1943, seeing service in all theatres starting with the British Expeditionary Force to France in 1940.

The Military Police were present on every battlefront and in every country where British Troops fought or were stationed, directing traffic often under fire and where they were increasingly seen as a symbol of steadfastness and of fair play. Many specialist units were also raised and it was in 1940 that 19 volunteers from the Metropolitan Police Criminal Investigation Department were drafted to form a Special Investigation Branch (SIB) to serve with the BEF. The SIB RMP task then, as now, was the investigation of serious crime involving military personnel or Service interests. In 1941, the Vulnerable Points Wing (the 'Blue Hats') was formed with men of lower physical categories to patrol and guard key installations and infrastructure. In 1942, the Auxiliary Territorial Service for women formed a Provost Section. Later, a Ports Provost Wing (the 'White Hats'), with 9 companies was formed for service overseas. At war's end, General Sir Myles Dempsey KCB KBE DSO MC paid the following tribute: "The Military Policeman became such a well known figure on every road to the battlefield that his presence became taken for granted.

Few soldiers as they hurried over a bridge which was a regular target for the enemy, gave much thought to the man who's duty it was to stand there for hours on end, directing the traffic and ensuring its rapid passage". The Royal prefix In 1946 in recognition of its outstanding war record His Majesty King George VI graciously granted the 'Royal' prefix to the Corps of Royal Military Police (RMP) in recognition of its outstanding wartime record. CRMP was chosen to avoid confusion with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or RCMP. Since 1945, the RMP has served in every theatre and campaign undertaken by the British Army since 1945 including the Falkland Islands, the Gulf, Rhodesia, Rwanda, Bosnia, East Timor, and Kosovo. In many cases they have been the first to arrive and last to leave and currently there are over 150 RMP personnel deployed on operations across the globe in the Balkans, Iraq, and in Afghanistan. In 1977, in her Silver Jubilee Year, Her Majesty the Queen graciously agreed to become Colonel-in-Chief.

In 1992, the RMP became part of the federated Adjutant General's Corps (AGC) as part of the Provost Branch, which also now includes the Military Provost Staff (MPS) and the Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS).

Significant dates 1511 First Provost Marshal of whom a personal record is known 1813-14 Staff Corps of Cavalry raised by Wellington for Peninsular War 1815-18 Staff Corps of Cavalry reformed for Waterloo Campaign 1854-55 Mounted Staff Corps formed for service in the Crimea 1855 Military Mounted Police (MMP) formed to police the new military cantonment at Aldershot 1877 MMP established as a Permanent Corps 1882 Military Foot Police (MFP) formed for campaign service in Egypt 1885 MFP established as a Permanent Corps 1926 Corps of Military Police (CMP) formed with amalgamation of MMP and MFP 1937 Field Security Police (FSP) Wing formed 1940 Special Investigation Branch formed - FSP joins new Intelligence Corps 1946 Royal Prefix granted to CMP 1953 First RMP Direct Entry Officers accepted 1977 HM The Queen becomes Colonel in Chief 1992 Formation of AGC Federation Corps of which RMP forms a part of the Provost Branch The Royal Military Police The Military Mounted

 Police and Military Foot Police In July 1855, 21 NCO's and men drawn from the 2nd Dragoon Guards, 3rd Light Dragon, 15th Hussar and 17th Hussar were employed as a Corps of the Military Mounted Police.

Their immediate duty was the preservation of good order and discipline in the army. During 1861 Major Thomas Trout was commissioned from the ranks of the military police as Provost Marshal. This was an exceptional case, but in fact the next four Provost Marshals all appear to have risen from the ranks. There were Captain W. Silk (1881), Major C. Broackes (1885), Major J.L. Emerson (1894) and Major J.W.M. Wood (1898). The spouse of Maj Broackes had such an interest in the provost that she saw the necessity for military police to stand out from other soldiers and to be recognisable from a distance. It is widely said that it was she who proposed the distinctive red cap cover, still in use by the RMP and other military police forces around the world From the formation of the Military Mounted Police in 1855, the Military Mounted Police grew in number as well as in the scope of duties. In 1877, the Military Mounted Police became a permanent corps of the British Army.

1887 saw the establishment of the Military Mounted Police (MMP) for service at home and abroad, and in 1882 during the Egyptian War the Military Foot Police (MFP), manned by selected cavalry non-commissioned officers with experience as regimental police, was raised for service in Egypt. The MMP was similar to the "Cape Mounted Police" before the establishment of the Union of South Africa. The MFP did not, however, become a permanent corps for service within Britain until 1885 when the corps began to expand; and the MMP and the MFP became two distinct organisations, each with its own promotion rosters, but essentially all part of the same corps. During 1899 members of the MMP and MFP were sent to South Africa, where they earned three DCM's (Distinguished Conduct Medal) during the Second Anglo-Boer War. The above photograph, found in "The Anglo-Boer Wars 1815-1902" by Michael Barthorp purports to illustrate a Major Campbell (mounted) and three members of his military police at the Pretoria, South Africa garrison during 1881.

At this time there were four companies of the 2/21st, one of the 94th and its mounted infantry, two Royal Artillery guns and some Royal Engineers. The MP on the left has his buttons grouped in threes, whilst the other two have theirs grouped singly. Their belts are probably white leather, and they each have cuff embroidery. The Corps of Military Foot Police was recruited from other corps and regiments of the British Army. The man had to be of good character and have at least one good conduct badge and have 4 years' service. There were no privates in the corps, each man transferred being raised to the rank of corporal. On the outbreak of war with the Boer republics in 1899, nearly all Britain's 300 military policemen were dispatched to South Africa. They went from MP units in the United Kingdom, Malta and Egypt, to be employed under the Provost Marshal on a wide range of duties over and above their peace time tasks. These included the supervision of civil police forces; the care of prisoners of war in transit to prisons and camps; the provision of guards for important places; the issue of permits and passes, and the confiscation of arms and ammunition.

It can be assumed that each part of the Imperial Forces had their own Provost Marshal, since the Provost Marshal of the Natal Field Force, under command of General Sir Redvers Buller, was one Alan Cunningham. When the British took the war into the Boer republics, the Boers forces responded by waging a hit-and-run guerrilla war. Ranging the countryside on sturdy ponies, the Boer 'commandos' proved difficult to defeat until Lord Kitchener devised new tactics which included destroying farms supplying the enemy, and the detention of Boer families in 'concentration camps'. The first move led to an outbreak of ill-discipline and looting, unofficially condoned, which the Provost Marshal and his forces found all but impossible to regulate. The situation was exacerbated by the conduct of the Boers, who were forced to loot to survive, and by the rumour that Kitchener had said that his troops should 'loot like mad'. Blame for much of the subsequent misconduct fell upon the 'Colonials', mounted units raised in South Africa and the white colonies of the Empire. Serving in such a unit, the "Bushveldt Carbineers", was Lt.

Harry "Breaker" Morant, convicted by a court martial in 1902 of the murder of Boer prisoners. The court tried Morant and four other officers of the "Bushveldt Carbineers" on 16 charges of murder, but the unit was thought to have murdered at least 6 other Boers, two of their own men, and an unknown number of blacks. Morant and another Australian officer were shot by firing squad. A third Australian officer was sentenced to life imprisonment. Their partial defence had been that they had been told that Lord Kitchener himself had ordered Boer prisoners to be shot. The court martial took the view that the Carbineers' duty had been to hand them over to the military police for escort to a prison camp. The concentration camps into which Boer families were placed were not well-run, and disease and malnutrition caused the subsequent deaths of many thousands of internees. This continues to cause bitterness against Britain - even to this day. The British army learnt a lot from the Boer War of 1899-1902,and subsequently improved its performance with new weapons, equipment and tactical doctrine.

The Army ignored, however, the Adjutant General's recommendation that the duties of the Provost Marshal and the forces under his command should be clearly defined. This oversight was to put Provost services at a severe disadvantage in the great conflict that was to come. Uniforms of the Military Foot Police Headress. The corporal shown above is wearing the regulation cork helmet covered in blue cloth. The helmet plate was the universal star plate surmounted by a crown and was die-struck in brass. In the centre was the Garter belt with motto, within which was the Royal cipher E.R. VII. The standard cap was of blue cloth and was worn with a red cover for the top, giving the corps their nickname of the 'Red Caps'. The badge design was of a laurel wreath surrounding the Royal cipher the whole surmounted by a crown. A scroll underneath bore the title "Military Police". Tunic. The tunic was of blue cloth with scarlet collar and pointed cuffs; the leading edge of the tunic was also so piped in scarlet cloth. The tunic was fastened by 9 brass buttons bearing the design of the Royal cipher surmounted by a crown.

Trousers were of blue cloth with a 2in scarlet stripe running down the outside seam of both legs. Accoutrements. A brown leather belt was worn fastened with a brass buckle. A whistle and chain were worn, the chain attached to the second button from the top and the whistle fitting into a small pocket inside the tunic. In August 1914, the unexpected Great War broke out and Britain mobilised her army. This included the total strength, 764 members in all, of the MMP and MFP as follows: 3 officers 508 other ranks (Regular) 253 other ranks (Reserves) recalled to the colours. It soon became obvious that many more military policemen were going to be needed, and that the peacetime standards of MMP and the MFP were considerably lowered. Within months of its outbreak the war had developed into an entrenched deadlock in Belgium and France, with other theatres of war established as nations joined the fight, or as German overseas possessions were fought for. Britain was forced to massively expand the army, and in the atmosphere of crisis that prevailed, military police recruiting procedures to be drastically revised. Probation became a thing of the past.

A number of old soldiers were enlisted directly from civil life, as were civil policemen, and units of infantry and cavalry were transferred en bloc. The practice of temporarily 'attaching' men, or complete units, for police duties continued. At first each divisional establishment included an Assistant Provost Marshal (usually a captain) and 25 NCOs of the MMP. Corps headquarters had a small detachment of MFP men. The APMs on lines of communications duties had even fewer men. As far as provost duties were concerned, no instructions existed as to what these might be, and they had to be defined and acted on as they became apparent. In France these mainly included the manning of 'stragglers' posts', traffic control, dealing with crime committed by British soldiers, the control of civilians within the battle area, handling prisoners of war, and patrolling rear areas and ports. Of these, perhaps the operation of stragglers' posts has become the least understood, giving rise to the legend of the Redcap, pistol in hand, forcing shell-shocked Tommies forward to certain death. The facts paint an entirely different picture.

Stragglers' posts or battle-stops, as they were sometimes called, were collecting points behind the front lines where prisoners of war were taken over from the infantry, runners and message-carriers were checked and directed. Walking wounded from Regimental Aid Posts were directed to casualty collecting stations for evacuation, and 'stragglers' were dealt with. This last-named duty involved halting soldiers who were obviously neither casualties, signalers or runners, re-arming and equipping them if necessary, and sending them forward to rejoin their units, individually or in groups. With so few MMP or MFP men available, this type of work was mostly done by 'trench police' or 'battle police', men from a division's cavalry squadron or cyclist company, regimental police or corps cavalry, who also directed traffic in communication trenches. All worked under the direction of the divisional APM. Later in the war, a typical division in the line employed over 250 officers and men on provost duties within its area. They manned four straggler posts, provided an MP presence at the casualty collection post, operated various road traffic control posts and a number of mobile traffic patrols.

Military police were familiar figures at Mons, the Marne, Ypres, and the Somme. In war-ridden France, British Military Police, that is the CMP, were used for the first time to control refugees and stragglers. The Battle of Ains was the first time that a traffic circuit was used, whilst the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in 1915 was the first time that traffic posts were used. The importance of traffic control in the battle area was evident from the start of the war, but a planned approach to the problem of traffic did not emerge for some time. At first, divisional provost troops attended to the needs of their own formation, but this attitude frequently led to delays. Improvements were made, but not in time to prevent a serious traffic control problem at the battle of Loos in September 1915. After the start of the battle, two divisions, the 21st and the 24th, were called forward from reserve to exploit a breach in the enemy's line. Their approach march has been described by one commentator as like trying 'to push the Lord Mayor's procession through the streets of London without clearing the route or holding up the traffic'.

The infantry of the two divisions arrived at the battle late and exhausted, and their attack failed. In the wake of the disaster the problems of traffic control were properly tackled and corrected. Absenteeism and desertion became an increasing problem as the war progressed. It was the duty of military policemen to apprehend deserters and hold them for trial by court martial. Much has been written about the British soldiers of the Great War who suffered death by firing squad for the crimes of cowardice or desertion. More than 3,000 sentences of death were passed by British courts martial between 1914 and 1920, of which 346 were carried out; 266 were for desertion, two for sleeping while a sentry, six for striking a superior officer, five for disobedience and two for casting away arms. Many of those shot were under suspended sentences of death and had re-offended. Against these figures should be balanced those of the 702,410 officers and men of the British forces who were killed in action. Assistant Provost Marshals and their men had the grim duty of supervising the executions of men sentenced to death. They themselves were not required to furnish the firing squads.

Any serious offenders, if not sentenced to death, rapidly found their way to Field Punishment Centres or Military Prisons. These were run by men of the MPSC and by military policemen, while Provost Marshals had the supervision of the FPCs. During the First World War,'Redcap' or 'Cherrynob' became the terms applied by British soldiers to any military policeman to the red cap cover which had been taken into use before the war to distinguish an MP on duty, when the blue uniform then worn resembled that of a civilian policeman. The practice of wearing red cap covers continued with khaki service dress, but was only worn by men of the MMP and MFP) Not all the men attached for provost duties were as efficient as the regular Redcaps, and their behaviour at times fell short of the standards of the corps. However, discipline in the British Expeditionary Force in France, and in the armies at home and in other overseas theatres was properly maintained throughout the war. The British suffered no serious breakdown of discipline like that in the French Army in 1917, and this was due in no small measure to the efforts of provost forces.

By the end of the war the strength of the forces under the control of the Provost Marshal of the BEF had grown to almost 15000 all ranks, while it has been reckoned that over 25,000 men served in a provost role during the war. Some 375 lost their lives and the corps won 477 decorations including 13 DSO's (Distinguished Service Order). Their achievements had a particular cost. The pre-war soldiers' respect for the Redcap had plummeted by 1918 to an all-time low, particularly within the ranks the 'poor bloody infantry', who saw the military policemen as the instrument of a brutal regime which had sent them into the line again and again and had savagely punished their weaker comrades. The constant Redcap presence, in the line and out, particularly that of a minority of over-zealous or bullying MPs, exacerbated the ill-feeling. This was a great pity, for the legend of the brutal Redcap devalued the achievements of British Provost forces, who had risen to the challenges of the war.

In the battle zone, where frequently they had to do duty in exposed positions under heavy fire and suffered severe casualties, the military police solved a important part of the problem of traffic control. In back areas the vigilance and zeal have largely contributed to the good relations maintained between our troops and the civilian population." Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, Commander-in-Chief of the BEF In December 1918 a military police motorcyclist had the honour to be the first British soldier to cross the Rhine in the occupation of Cologne. It was entirely fitting that a Redcap should lead the way for a victorious 'British Army of the Rhine'. The Corps of Military Police In 1926 the MMP and MFP amalgamated to form the Corps of Military Police (CMP). Anti-vice measures became a military police task when in 1934 the British CMP were requested to institute such measures by the Bishop of Singapore. Between the Wars the Corps dropped dramatically in size, but with the outset of World War Two it again rose to many thousands.

The well defined tasks of the military police - maintenance of discipline, prevention and detection of crime, and traffic control - were employed to the full in all theatres, commencing with Expeditionary Force, to France, Italy, North Africa, the Far East and finally Germany itself. The provost were at Monte Cassino and Dunkirk; El Alamein and Malta; they dropped at Arnhem and they were the first on the beaches. "The military police became so well known a figure on every road to the battlefield that his presence became taken for granted. Few soldiers (as they hurried over a bridge that was a regular target for the enemy) gave much thought to the man whose duty it was to be there for hours on end, directing the traffic and ensuring its rapid passage." "General Sir Myles Dempsey KCB, KBE, DSO, MC" Until 1940 all criminal offences committed by British soldiers were investigated by civilian police. During January 1940 a Special Investigation Branch of the CMP was established. As the war progressed the CMP divided into three distinct parts Provost Wing. The famous "Red Caps". Traffic Control Wing. CMP(TC) personnel were organised into armed companies each responsible for a specific area.

Although they belonged to the Corps of Military Police they carried out all instructions issued by Movement Control. Vulnerable Points Wing. It was the task of the "Blue Caps" to provide guards for installations and buildings that were seen as vulnerable points, such as ammunition and petrol dumps, docks, locks, bridges and power stations. They were organised into sections each with 7 privates under command of a lance corporal. They were armed with SMG's and batons, and used guard dogs during nights. Their primary duty was anti-sabotage. Each wing wore differing insignia and dress items in order to make them distinctive from the normal fighting "Tommy". Traffic Control and Vulnerable Points Wings Distinctive Arm Badges In addition to the white and oxford blue bands painted around the steel helmets of the TC and VP Wings of the CMP, these personnel were also identified by 1ï¿½" square cloth badges worn just below the shoulder seam on each sleeve of the Service Dress jacket, the Battle-Dress blouse, the Khaki Drill jacket and the Greatcoat. After June 1943 the badges were worn below the corps designation and above the arm-of-service strip.

For TC Wing personnel, the badge had red lettering "TC" whilst for VP Wing personnel the letters were "VP". Traffic Control armlet In 1943 an exercise, named "SPARTAN", was held in England between British and Canadian forces. The purpose of the exercise was to identify possible operational and administrative problems during the occupation of a foreign port. A result of this exercise was a decision that military police involved with the control of traffic should wear an armlet to increase their authority. This armlet was worn on the upper right arm by personnel from the CMP (TC) branch when utilised on traffic control duties. "The Battle of Normandy and subsequent battles would never have been won but for the work and co-operation of the Provost on the traffic routes." Field Marshall B.L. Montgomery, 1945. Uniforms and Insignia of the CMP Cloth Cap Covers. The red cap was probably the most distinctive feature of the CMP during World War Two. This feature was produced by means of removable cloth covers that were worn as follows over the standard Service Dress caps when members of the CMP were on duty: Provost Wing - red. Vulnerable Points Wing - oxford blue.

For a while CMP personnel serving with field formations did not wear the red cap, but had to wear a field service cap when they did not wear steel helmets. This instruction was revised in 1943 in terms of ACI 1641 of 1943. Cap Badge Warrant Officers and NCO's of the Corps of Military Police wore the cap badge illustrated at right. Initially made in gilding metal, the badge was also made in plastic during the war when metal resources became scarce. The badge was characterised by the use of the Royal Cypher of the reigning monarch. Steel Helmet Bands. So that members of the CMP were still easily recognisable when personnel wore steel helmets it was decided during November 1940 that their helmets were to bear the regimental badge of white letters "MP" on a square blue background and a bright red band around the helmet. The square blue regimental badge was placed in the centre front of the helmet. By April 1944 helmets bands for CMP personnel had been authorised (ACI 494 dated 5 April 1944) and expanded to the following: Provost Wing - red band.

The Corps of Royal Military Police The British Corps of Military Police of the WW2 period was made a royal corps by King George VI during 1946 in recognition of the sacrifices that military police had made during World War Two. It was initially proposed that the corps be known as the Royal Corps of Military Police, but it was realised that the abbreviation for this title was already in use by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and it decided that the corps would be known as the Corps of Royal Military Police. King George VI made it known that he preferred the title of RMP only, and the Corps has been known by that title since then. For a while the military police at Southern Command wore the formation insignia shown at right. Traffic Control Uniforms and Insignia of the RMP Cap Badge All members of the Royal Military Police wear the cap badge illustrated at right. Initially made in gilding metal, the badge in now manufactured in anodised aluminium. An embroidered version for officers also exists. The badge remains characterised by the use of the Royal Cypher of the reigning monarch.

Despite their amalgamation into the AGC, the RMP continue to wear their own RMP cap and collar badges MP Brassard When on duty the military policeman of the RMP is distinguished by a red brassard on the right upper arm, together with a red-topped service dress cap or beret, whistle and chain. The traditional red brassard can also be replaced by a camouflage version carrying a small MP patch and a disruptive pattern material (DPM) rank patch. Parachute wings are also often seen on these brassards. Head-dress As stated, the RMP are easily distinguished by the red-topped service dress cap or beret that they wear. During wartime it is believed that the redcaps are replaced by anonymous navy blue berets. If the MP is armed, their pistol is carried in a white holster, belt and cross-strap. Join the Army Reserve - British Army Website Join the Army Reserve Join the Army Reserve With a commitment of as little as 19 days per year you can fit more adventure into your life in the Army Reserve. 'Being a Reservist has made me more confident and fitter.

It has opened up so many opportunities and I have made some really good friends.' - Trooper McAnerney Thinking about becoming a Reservist? Call us on 0345 600 8080 or get in touch with your local unit . Questions? What is the Army Reserve? The average person spends 15 days a year surfing the web in their spare time. You can join the Army Reserve and get to do something different with your time - most roles ask for just 27 days a year. You'll get to learn new skills, make friends and get paid too. Want to find out more about what the Army Reserve is, and what they do? Why join the Army Reserve? Travel - Opportunity to train in places like Kenya or California Skills - Earn military and civilian qualifications Pay - Get paid for all of the training and Reserve duties you complete Benefits - Joiners financial incentives and the opportunity to earn a tax free bonus every year Fitness - Be trained by the best and become "Army Fit" in no time Rejoining the Army If you’ve served as a soldier or officer, your skills, training and experience are invaluable to the Army Reserve.

The Army Reserve is working more closely with the Regular Army, and it’s growing in importance and professionalism. As the Army looks towards the future, Regulars and Reserves are becoming a more integrated force, working together at home and overseas. If you've left Regular service in the last six years, you could rejoin as a Reservist and get incentive payments of up to £10,000. FAQS - Army Reserve How old do I have to be to join the Army Reserve? To join the Army Reserve you need to be 18. You can apply to join when you are 17 years and 9 months old, so that you're ready to join on your 18th birthday. Maximum ages for joining the Reservists: To join as a soldier, you must apply by the time you are 49 years and 11 months. You must start Phase 1 training by your 51st birthday, and be in Phase 2 by your 52nd birthday To join as an officer, you must apply by the time you are 48 years and 9 months.

You must start your training by your 50th birthday Rejoiners can still join as a soldier until their 52nd birthday, and as an officer (if they have previously commissioned) until their 57th birthday. Do Reservists get paid? As a Reservist you get paid for the time you spend training, and a bonus payment for completing a certain amount of training days each year. The pay scale that you’ll be on is based on what a Regular soldier with the same job and rank would get. This increases as you get promoted and gain experience. Depending on the unit you join, your minimum training commitment could be 19 or 27 days a year - rewarded with a tax-free lump sum called a bounty. This increases after each year of service. As well as the bounty, there are also subsidies that will pay for food while you're on duty and travel to the unit. In addition, all volunteer reserves, their partners and their children are now eligible for the HM Forces Railcard. This costs £15 and offers a 34 per cent discount on rail travel throughout Great Britain for a whole year, helping to make off-duty travel more affordable. Are there any financial incentives?

Incentive payments for ex-Regulars As an ex-Regular you can get up to £10,000 on top of the tax-free bounty (paid on meeting your minimum annual commitment) and your Army Reserve salary.

You could get: £2,000 on approval by the CO of your Army Reserve unit £3,000 after completing your first year full training commitment £3,000 after completing your second year full training commitment £2,000 after completing your third year full training commitment To be eligible you must meet these conditions: You must have completed at least four years regular service with the rank of Captain or below You must have left the Regular Army no more than six years before enlisting in the Army Reserve You must have applied for and be capable of employment in a post approved by an Army Reserve unit CO You must be Medically Fully Deployable (MFD) or Medically Limited Deployable (MLD) You must be under 35 when you apply Incentive payments for new entrants You will get these extra payments on top of your tax-free bounty (paid on meeting your annual minimum commitment) and your Army Reserve salary: £300 when you’re accepted on to training £1,000 when you complete your Phase 1 training £1,000 when you complete your Phase 2 training What is the time commitment for being a Reservist?

Depending on the unit you join, your minimum training commitment could be 19 or 27 days a year. Will I be expected to deploy? Yes, anyone joining the Army Reserve could be called out to serve on operations, in UK or abroad, for anything up to 12 months. Can I join as an officer? Being a Reservist Officer means that you complete your training and military duties in your spare time. It makes it possible to get many of the advantages of Army life and add them to your civilian responsibilities and career. Initial Officer training consists of a series of modules to develop your military leadership and skills. Modules A & B are both made up of either 7 weekends and an Officer Training Corps or a solid 2 week course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). Modules C& D are both two week courses at RMAS. Once you've finished module D, you'll be commissioned into the Army Reserve. Alternatively you can do an 8 week consolidated course covering all 4 modules. Local or national unit? The Army Reserve is organised into national units and regional units. Regional units recruit from their local area, and most people who join the Army Reserve will join one. But some will join a national unit.

Find your local unit What are national units? There are 29 national reserve units, and they recruit from all over the UK. National units are more specialised than regional units, they recruit people with specialist skills but will, in some cases, train individuals from scratch. If you want to use the skills from your day job in the Army Reserve – whether you’re a police officer, doctor, engineer, chef, media relations expert or cyber security specialist – a national unit could be the place for you. National Units The chance to use and develop your professional skills in a different environment. You can use your experience later on in your Reserve career. You’ll also get the same great benefits as you would with a regional unit. How many days each year? You’ll normally do two weekends and 15 days of continuous training each year. Training takes place at your unit’s headquarters or other training centre, which might be some distance from where you live. Because of that, the annual training commitment is less than Army Reserve regional units (19 days instead of 27). Your travel expenses will be paid, too.

National Units 1/3 63 (SAS) Signals Squadron Signals and IT support to UK Special Forces Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG) Regular and reserves working together to bridge the gap between civil and military communities. National units 3/3 Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Military Police Battalion (ARRC MP Bn) Supporting the Allied Rapid Reaction Corp in a multi-national policing environment. Special Investigation Branch Regt Royal Military Police (SIB Regt RMP) Together with RMP units provides a military policing and special investigation footprint across the UK. AGC Education and Training Service Reserve (AGC ETS (R )) Teachers and trainers for regular and reserve personnel across the UK Army Education Centres. 412 Amphibious Troop Royal Engineers Based in Minden, Germany and part of 75 Engr Regt, provide amphibious bridging capability. 19 Tank Transporter Squadron Royal Logistic Corps Recruited and employed by Fasttrax to use and maintain the Heavy Equipment Transport fleet of vehicles. Army HQ Reserve Staff Staff officers working in Army HQ on various tasks and project Will being a Reservist affect my day job? Joining the Army as a Reservist won’t put your job at risk.

There is a legal requirement to tell your employer, so make sure that you do. It’s also a good idea to do it in plenty of time. That way, if you need to take time off, you can give them plenty of warning and they can arrange to cover your absence. Can I leave? As a Reservist, you can leave at any time you want, unless you've been mobilised. You can leave just after you've joined, during training or even if you've already joined your unit. If you decide at any point that the Army isn't for you, or your life changes and you can no longer give it as much time, all you need to do is tell your superiors. They'll check that you really do want to leave and explain the procedure to you.

Question: In which branch of the British Army would a Redcap serve?
Answer: Royal Military Police.