In late 2023, the Part-Time Recruit Course (PTRC), the five-week recruit course for Army Reserve soldiers was changed to a three-week course, now known as Army Initial Foundation Training (AIFT) Module A. The purpose of reducing recruit training was to ease the initial time commitment of Army Reserve recruits from five weeks, to three, thereby improving recruitment into the Army Reserve.

However, reducing the PTRC to a three-week course required two-fifths of the training syllabus to be removed. These removed components are still part of the soldier training continuum, and therefore, must still be delivered to qualify the recruit as a soldier, but the training liability has shifted to the Reserve Security and Response (S&R) Brigades, who are responsible for the completion of the remaining ab initio training modules. Current experience is demonstrating that these organisations are not resourced, nor have the time or staff levels to effectively support the training that they have been tasked to deliver. 

The result of this shortened program, while positive for initial recruitment, is a delay in the time it takes to qualify recruits in basic soldier skills. Further, the design and sequence of the training as it currently stands, does not support the combat effectiveness of Army Reserve Soldiers. 

Army Initial Foundation Training (AIFT) Module A
21 Days

Ab Initio Training Modules

Land Combat Module (LCM)
16 Days
  • Soldier skills 
  • EF88 Service Rifle (up to qualification practice)
  • Army Combatives Program (ACP) Level 1
  • Foundation Communications Course (FCC)
  • Army First Aid (AFA)
  • Tactical Care of the Combat Casualty (TCCC)
  • Navigation
  • Field & Battle Craft
  • Rifle Practice (RP) 1-3A (non-combat soldiers only)
  • F89 Light Support Weapon (LSW) Qualification (non-combat soldiers only)
  • LSW Live Fire (LF) 1-5 (Combat soldiers only)

 
  • LSW qualification
  • RP1-3A
  • Employ Combat Equipment (Soldier Combat Ensemble SCE-19)
  • Basic Combat Communications Course (BCCC)
  • Night Fighting Equipment (NFE)
  • High Explosive (HE) Weapons
  • Pyrotechnics

Table 1: Comparison of current training modules

Current Training Sequence

A soldier enlisting into the Army Reserve will first complete AIFT and is then required to complete the outstanding ab initio training and their Initial Employment Training (IET) modules (see Table 1). Army reserve IET modules are predominantly modularised into two-week blocks. The order in which a trainee will complete these modules is dependent on their role. For example, an infantry soldier must complete Land Combat Module (LCM) (see Table 1) and ab initio training before they can complete their infantry IET module, whereas soldiers who enlist as military police or medics may complete their IET modules prior to completing the ab initio training. This can lead to significant delays for some reserve soldiers to become employment qualified, depending on their role. 

Improving the framework

To improve the combat effectiveness of Army Reserve soldiers and speed up the generation of qualified soldiers, the training continuum requires modification. Therefore, a ‘three and two’ model is proposed, consisting of the 21 day AIFT and a 16-day course, for the purposes of this article, called ‘All-Corps Common Skills’ (ACCS). Training modules are outlined in Table 2.

AIFT Mod A
21 Days

All-Corps Common Skills (ACCS)
16 Days
  • Soldier skills
  • Service Rifle up to RP1-3A
  • LSW (up to qualification practice)
  • Field and Battle Craft
  • Employ Combat Equipment

 
  • Navigation
  • ACP Level 1 and 2
  • FCC
  • BCCC
  • NFE
  • Pyrotechnics
  • HE Weapons

Table 2: Suggested training continuum
 

The three-week AIFT is retained, to continue to support initial recruitment onboarding, but will deliver different modules. The new arrangement of these competencies will immediately improve the combat capabilities of soldiers as the focus will be on building competence in combat-related skills during AIFT instead of splitting up the modules and thereby increasing the time taken to complete the training. In addition, this will streamline the delivery of training as 1st Recruit Training Battalion is better equipped and resourced to deliver this training. This is in contrast to S&R Brigades which must share facilities with local units and have less resource allocation to deliver these modules, specifically weapons and ranges. For example, Western Australia does not have a Marksmanship Training Range, therefore, all soldiers must be flown interstate to complete this element of training, thereby increasing the resource usage of units in that state. 

The ACCS course would be a 16-day block proposed to replace LCM. All soldiers, regardless of corps would complete this course as it would improve the overall combat capability of reserve soldiers, and be beneficial to streamlining recruitment training for three reasons: 

  • Modules in the ACCS would be all-corps soldier skills and not specific to combat roles. This is evident in the full-time recruit course where soldiers undertaking this course complete these modules as part of their basic training. 
  • These specific modules are better modularised for delivery within the S&R Brigades. For example, competencies such as FCC and NFE could be delivered on Tuesday nights and AFA/TCCC could be delivered on a weekend.
  • The delivery of BCCC to all soldiers would better support motorisation efforts within the Army Reserve as this competency is a pre-requisite for Protected Mobility Vehicle driver courses. 

Under the proposed training model, LSW practices are excluded. Currently, only infantry soldiers require this competency as a pre-requisite for their IET module, whereas it is not required for the IETs of the other combat corps. Potential solutions include conducting this training within infantry units or by adding into the infantry IET module. 

Delivery of Training

This model of training could be supported in several ways. Firstly, the University Regiments, who run LCM would instead facilitate ASSC. These units already have the appropriate supporting structures and resources to conduct the training. This option only requires minor modifications to the current training program. S&R Brigades would continue to deliver the training as individual modules conducted over Tuesday nights and training weekends. Both these options enable flexibility and soldiers can choose which option better suits their personal circumstances. Finally, those soldiers who have the availability should be given the option to complete the full-time recruit course, thereby qualifying the reserve soldier with all the same skills as their full-time counterparts. These options assist in speeding up the delivery of reserve recruit training and improving the combat capability of part-time soldiers.

Conclusion

The proposed training model improves the combat effectiveness of Reserve soldiers, provides better flexibility in training and will generate speed to capability. The proposed framework retains positive changes to recruitment by preserving reductions to initial time commitments. It also supports soldier retention by equipping them with required skills for their role without unnecessary delays. Soldiers who join the Army Reserve are motivated to learn and apply soldier skills, and in a time of reduced strategic warning time and heightened preparedness, Army needs engaged, combat capable soldiers and a system of recruitment that supports this.