RAF Regiment, yes (too blue for the army, too green for the RAF). That might be another cause for a difference, the highest level we operate at is Sqn level (reinforced company), and nearly everything we do is at Flight (Platoon) or often Multiple (half Flight) level. And the RAF culture is very different from Army culture, which is a whole other thread (as the people responsible for trying to make the rest of the air force realise that it's actually a military organisation, we sometimes... clash with members of other trade groups).
I think one of the differences between US reserves and ourselves is that we don't deploy as a formed unit, we get attached to a regular unit and do our pre-deployment training with them. I get the impression the US operates differently. I dont know if it's different for the TA (I've heard of TA soldiers being called up and then deployed a couple of weeks later, our cycle is normally to get the call up, go through 4 months PDT with the unit we're attached to, then do the tour). As for our equipment, for reserves we're quite up to date, and the sheer fact we've got someone on virtually every deployment means we keep up to date with what's in theatre. Discipline, as mentioned, revolves around the fact that if you don't want to be there, you won't turn up, and then you get booted, especially now we're fully manned. But, as I said, I trained, was equipped by, and deployed with a regular unit.
And finally, I would be interested to hear what the policy is in other units. I'm pretty limited to the RAF Regiment so itd be nice to find out if my experiences in the reserves and with regular troops are a pleasant aberration or a common thing. I'm pretty sure, as with all things, it depends on the situation and the troops involved though.
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