The RRes is a scheme designed by the government to increase the ADF’s capability to deploy well trained personnel in a shorter time than the conventional GRes scheme allows.

As most of you will be aware, 6 Bde is the RRes Bde, with the majority of personnel in all units within the Bde being RRes. It has an ARA component staff of about twenty percent. It is from the RRes elements that some of the RACMP RRes personnel will come, having already spent one year on full time service within a regimental environment. It is hoped, however, that the majority of RRes Military Police will be currently serving GRes members who elect to transfer to the RRes scheme.

The RRes has three categories of service, which are as follows:

Category 1 - ARA members serving in an ARA position in a RRes unit. (They are not entitled to RRes conditions of service.)

Category 2 - Members from the ARA or GRes who transfer to the RRes, and undertake part time service (fifty days per year).

Category 3 – Persons with no previous military experience who join the RRes, and are required to undertake one year’s full time training, followed by part time service.

At 1 MP Coy there will only be Category 1 and Category 2 members serving within the unit.

RRes conditions of service were designed as an incentive to encourage members to join, and to continue parading throughout their RRes career. To that end, conditions of service for RRes are extremely attractive. Whilst too lengthy to detail here, I have included some of them, as follows. (Full details are in the AOSI 8/93.)

1. Education Assistance Scheme. Designed to assist those members of the RRes studying at university, the scheme pays the member a tax exempt amount yearly, equivalent to the difference between the Annual Commitment Bonus (ACB) and the adult AUSTUDY rate.
2. Job Search Scheme. Includes counselling, training and assistance with finding employment.
3. Annual Commitment Bonus (ACB). Members are awarded an ACB of $1500 for every year of completed effective service.
4. For MP’s, a posting to 1 MP Coy! Members of the RRes on part time service do not pay tax on their RRes income.

16 MP Pl is set to become the RACMP’s RRes Platoon. Their role will be to provide specialist MP support to formations and units operating within the 6 Bde TAOR,.

The Pl structure will look like this, with nineteen RRes positions and six ARA:

Pl HQ

PLCOMD - ARA

PLSM - RRes

OPS NCO - ARA

OPS NCO - RRes

MP Sect x 2

SGT - RRes

CPL - ARA

CPL - RRes (5)

MP Sect x 1

SGT - ARA

CPL - ARA

CPL - RRes (5)

As mentioned previously, soldiers currently serving in the RRes will have the opportunity to elect a Corps transfer to the RACMP. They will receive their MP training at either the MP School or here at 1 MP Coy. On successful completion of their basic course, they will be promoted to the rank of LCPL. The higher ranks of the RRes will come either from currently serving GRes or ARA members who choose to transfer to the RRes.

The arrival of RRes means that 1 MP Coy is now one of the few totally integrated units within the ADF, with members from the ARA, GRes and RRes all serving within the one unit, if not within the one locality. This should pave the way for another interesting, demanding and dynamic year at the 1^st Military Police Company.

The Ready Reserve was abolished by 2000 with all RRES personnel involved offered to transfer to either ARA or General Reserve. The RRES worked well, as could be expected when you increase the training, support staff and equipment of any Army Reserve unit. The problem was that this was too costly, only certain category of persons could benefit from this e.g Uni students, unemployed and young persons leaving school. The question of what to do with the current Army Reserve was a problem as well.