There are quite a few folk around - particularly those who PVR'd - who haven't a clue what their recall or call-out liabilities are under the Reserve Forces Act. That never used to matter - until Bliar's government called-out non-volunteer reservists for GW2.
The
NAO Report into Reserve Forces issued a couple of months ago makes interesting reading (if you've got the time). There is an implicit suggestion that very many ex-regulars don't know or care about their liability for reserve service.
19 The Department’s requirement for Army Regular Reserves on a large-scale operation assumes a higher success rate in mobilising Regular Reservists than has previously been achieved.
Recommendation 9: The Department should develop robust systems to manage those Regular Reservists it is most likely to require and to ensure that their training is up to date. Informing valuable personnel of their ongoing liability as Regular Reservists will be of key importance in ensuring that they can be mobilised when necessary.
It would be interesting to know just how many ex-regulars didn't bother to answer their call-up papers, or even couldn't be located!
The document also defines "Sponsored Reservists" - (BEagle's mercenaries).
Sponsored Reserves
Some services which are provided in peacetime by a civilian contractor are provided on operations
by staff drawn from the contractor’s workforce who are members of the Reserve Forces, and have
been mobilised. Individuals in this category are known as Sponsored Reserves. There are currently
253 Sponsored Reserves associated with a range of contracts including crews for the roll-on roll-off ships, drivers for the Army’s Heavy Equipment Transporters and engineers supporting 32 (The Royal) Squadron.