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Leslie James's latest comments
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30th Nov 2014Leslie James commented on:
Should the maximum age to join the Reserves be above or below 50?Some years ago I enlisted in the HSF (Home Defence Force). There was no lower age limiet but entry qualifications included previous regular service in Her Majesties Forces, the Police or Merchant Marine. I have to hand some comments written by by high authority on the effectivness of this force and in every case performance exceeded even the most optimistic forecasts even when put up against some elite regular units. In my own platoon we had ex itelligence officers (including operators from Field Units from N. Ireland), ex SAS. ex RAF, ex Sappers, infantry, recce units from various Regiments two ex-paras. As a unit in being we got some tremendous respect from the Regulars (but less so from our TA parent units) and were oftten called in to provide Blue Force Irregulars. We trained with R.M units (our CSM being an ex RSM from the Commandos and a but of a legend, an ex RSM Strathdee as I remember. The RAF Regiment accept Reserve Service beyond 50 years and the oldest other rank to be KIA in Afghanistan was a 52 year old Senior Aircraftsman from the RAF Regiment reserve. In many area it is experience, especially the collective experience of such as the HSF that is far more important than age or even outstanding physical fitness and we had a certain ''survivability'' that was sometimes missing in other TA Units. I learnt an awful lot and trained as, amongst other things as an HGV driver, a Combat Pioneer, a unit cook, minor unit signals, fieldcraft, bomb and UXD vehicle and building search. Battlefield First Aid and even FIBUA. Michael Hesletine was a very keen supporter of the HSF when at the MoD HSF whilst at the MoD and considered it to be the most cost effective unit in being in the Armed Forces