AUSTRALIAN Defence Force personnel leaving permanent service will remain part of the ADF’s contingent Reserve for twice as long under changes designed to give Defence greater access to experienced personnel during periods of heightened operational demand.
From October 1, the commitment period for personnel joining the permanent ADF will increase from five years to 10 years, requiring members to remain available as inactive reservists following their separation from full-time service.
The change will also apply to people joining the Reserves from October 1, with their commitment period extending for 10 years after their last day of effective service.
Importantly, inactive reservists do not have regular service obligations and would only be required to serve under a call-out order issued by the Governor-General.
Head of Military Personnel Rear Admiral Tish van Stralen said maintaining a larger pool of experienced former personnel would give the ADF greater flexibility as Australia confronted a more challenging strategic environment.
“A contingent workforce, made up of experienced personnel, provides the ADF greater flexibility to respond to heightened operational or strategic demand,” Rear Admiral van Stralen said.
“Should the need arise, integrating SERCAT (Service Category) 2 personnel back into the ADF is a quicker, more effective method to strengthen our forces.”
The extension implements Recommendation 6 of the Strategic Review of the ADF Reserves 2024 and Defence says it is consistent with approaches adopted by several of Australia’s international partners.
There are currently more than 8000 reservists who are not rendering service, with that figure forecast to approximately double over five years following the change.
The contingent workforce sits alongside the ADF’s permanent and active Reserve personnel, with the full-time permanent force on track to reach 69,000 personnel by the early 2030s.
“Being prepared for a world of increasing strategic risk and competition means having the people who can deliver effective on-the-ground results,” Rear Admiral van Stralen said.
“Extending the commitment period will ensure the ADF’s contingent Reserve continues to have the skills and experience to be a leading military capability.”
For Reserve personnel who have never served in the permanent ADF, the rules will depend on when they joined.
Those joining the Reserves from October 1 will have a 10-year commitment following their last day of effective service.
Personnel who joined before October 1 will retain the existing five-year period, although they will be able to voluntarily extend their commitment beyond five years through a Chief of the Defence Force determination.
