Army Reserve | The part time of your life

Soldier - Initial Training

When you join the Army Reserve as a soldier, you'll begin by completing Army recruit training. This is a 28-day training course at Kapooka, New South Wales (10 minutes out of Wagga Wagga) where you will learn Drill, Weapons, Communications and Field Craft. Instruction in First Aid and Navigation at your Reserve Unit will further complement your recruit training. All soldiers full-time and part-time train at Kapooka, where you'll be under the guidance of instructors whose job it is to get you through.

No-one is saying recruit training is a walk in the park. It isn't. It's hard. It's challenging. And for the most part, it's very intense, but the course is designed to help you succeed, not fail. And when you do make it, it's an amazing feeling. Of course, to become an effective soldier, you'll need to develop a number of specialist skills and a working knowledge of how today's Army operates. You'll learn about weapons, first aid, navigation, communications and surviving inthe field, just to name a few.

Not surprisingly, physical fitness is pretty important in the Army, and with the assistance of expert physical trainers, you'll soon be fit to take on anything. At the end of initial training, your achievements will be recognised in a "March out Ceremony." Here you’ll be congratulated on your success. It's a proud moment that you're encouraged to share with your family and friends.

Solider - Employment Training

After you have completed your training at Kapooka, the next step is your Initial Employment Training (IET). Kapooka will teach you to be a soldier, but your IET is where you learn the skills and crafts specific to the job or Corps you choose in the Army Reserve. For example,if you've chosen to serve in the Signals Corps, this is where you learn how to be a Signaller, training in areas such as radio operating procedure, communication equipment, frequency theory and encryption methods.

This training will more than likely take place in your local region, but you may be required to travel interstate. In most cases, it takes between two and seven weeks. You can do it in one block or break it up into several modules that you must complete within 18 months. Once you finish, you'll be a fully qualified soldier in your Corps in the Army Reserve.

"It&339's been a year and I'm still talking about my recruit course, it was the best thing that I've ever achieved." Private Elizabeth Menhimitt

"You get home and think if I can do that, I can do anything." Lance Corporal Sharyn Hoekstra