What kind of Reservist is it you are talking about?
- FTRS (HC)
- FTRS (LC)
- FTRS (FC)
- PTVR
- ADC
- VeRR
- Sponsored Reservist
All have different pros and cons but unless you are specific we could all be talking about different things entirely. Here's my take:
FTRS (HC and LC) - Don't count against the 31,500 cap, are between 9% and 14% cheaper because of the reduced X factor, don't vanish from their productive posts for 6 months on ops so are great for continuity. Tend to arrive fully trained because they recruit from regulars. Can be hard to fill some posts in the South of England, especially at lower ranks, because of the cost of housing.
PTVR - A great idea if you can identify a niche speciality that you need to fill. Need some bowser drivers for an OOA? Train PTVR for that specific role and send them out. If you try and give them the full range of skills of an entire TG it's doomed to fail - is it something like 33 years to train a Gen Tech E from the start if you only have them for 19 days a year.
I've not have enough experience of the other kinds to comment.
One thing I really find distasteful is the ability to apply for a post that is one grade above your substantive rank without the need to go through a promotion board. If you play the system you could, for instance leave the service as a Flt Lt with a yes for 1-up, apply for a Sqn Ldr FTRS post then, 2 years later having done very little to set the world on fire with your B/Yes OJAR, find a job that nobody wants and apply for a Wg Cdr post. I know of at least one person who was a crap Flt Lt and did this exact process, makes you wonder why some people have a bad impression of FTRS.
