Army | Challenge Yourself

Training prepares you for the Army Reserve, so it's incredibly important to us and to you. While we do take it seriously, we want you to have fun and make friends along the way.

Soldiers

When you join the Army Reserve as a soldier, you'll begin by completing Army Recruit Training at Kapooka, near Wagga Wagga in NSW. The training course runs for 28 days.

You are up to the challenge

This is a demanding course but there is no better preparation for life as a soldier in today's Army Reserve. As well as training in the physical aspects, by the end of the course, you'll know a lot about important soldierly qualities, like a will to win, dedication to duty, compassion and mateship. You will gain a huge sense of achievement, purpose and confidence by completing this training, which will undoubtedly serve you and your employer well in your civilian occupation.

Further training

You can be employed as a soldier straight after your Army Recruit Training but most take the step of Initial Employment Training to increase their qualifications. This training will most likely take place in your local region, but you may have to travel interstate. The length of training depends on the job, but will generally take anywhere between two and seven weeks. You have the option of completing it all at once or breaking it up into several modules over a maximum of 18 months.

Officers

Initial Training for officers is run by the Royal Military College of Australia in various locations throughout the country. The course consists of 5 modules over 104 days, which begins with the 28 day Kapooka training. So you have the flexibility to complete the training around your other employment commitments.

Each module will be conducted twice a year and the minimum time we expect you to complete all modules is 14 months. Ideally most candidates will complete the course within 18 months to two years. The final part of your training is completed at the Royal Military College Duntroon, Australia's finest leadership college.

• Module 1 – Military Foundation Skills is actually the Reserve Recruit Training Course and is conducted at Kapooka near Wagga, NSW. Qualified soldiers who are selected to be officers may be granted recognition of this training and commence training at Module 2. Likewise any officer candidate who does not wish to continue officer training is able to become a soldier on completion of this module. This module is 28 days long and is available several times each year.

• Module 2 – Small Military Team Leader Theory is 16 days long and is conducted in April and October in South Australia. This module builds on the skills introduced at Recruit Training and introduces new operational, weapons and navigation skills.

• Module 3 – Small Military Team Leader is 16 days long and is conducted in January and June at RMC Duntroon in Canberra.  This module introduces command, leadership and management skills in addition to military administration. This is also your first step along the way to learning the leadership and management skills you will need to successfully command soldiers in the Australian Army.

• Module 4 – Team Command, Leadership and Management is 16 days long and is conducted in April and October in Puckapunyal, Victoria. This module revises and tests what you will already have learnt about small team level operations as well as building further on your administrative capabilities as a small team leader. This module also gives you qualifications in the conduct of military live fire range practices.

• Module 5 – All Corps Army Reserve Platoon Commander is 28 days duration and is conducted in February and July at RMC Duntroon in Canberra.  This module confirms you have all the attributes, skills and values to become an officer in the Australian Army.  It also confirms that you have the leadership, management, operational skills and knowledge required of a Junior Officer to command a platoon on Army Reserve operations. Following successful completion of Module 5 you will be commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Australian Army Reserve.