Reserves - Mobilization Manpower Reserve
By default, at the end of active service, each serviceman is enlisted in the mobilization personnel resource ; this applies equally to conscripts and volunteers regardless of rank. Reservists are subject to mobilization in the first place in wartime. Non-reservists are subject to secondary mobilization.
The mobilization manpower reserve is understood as citizens who are in the reserve and who have duly concluded a contract on staying in the mobilization manpower reserve. The mobilization human resource refers to citizens who are in the reserve and are not part of the reserve, that is, everyone else. The mobilization manpower reserve is a part of the citizens who are in the reserve, who are kept in the most mobilized state.
Joining the mobilization personnel reserve is voluntary and involves the conclusion of a special contract; this opportunity is available to everyone who is already in the mobilization of human resources. The military personnel of the mobilization personnel reserve (reservists) perform part-time duties in military units. As a rule, in peacetime, reservists perform their duties 2-3 days a month, as well as during the annual military camp training lasting from 20 to 30 days.
In the early 1990s, the system of mobilization reserve was broken, the state did not have enough money for "partisans" - as it was customary to call reserve soldiers called up for military training. By the mid-1990s, the naval forces included about 200,000 sailors and marines, about 20 percent of whom were conscripts, and 500,000 reserves. The air forces included about 130,000 troops, of which 40,000 are conscripts.
There was some debate about whether Russia needs to maintain a large strategic reserve or should switch to more of an operational reserve. Opinions vary between two major camps, the reformers saying that an operational reserve would do far more to enhance security because an operational reserve would be smaller, better trained, more able to quickly become combat ready in a national emergency, and more likely to called in an emergency, while older retired senior officers believe that the capability to mass mobilize should be maintained at all costs.
The first talk of an operational reserve was in 2009, when the Defense Ministry announced that 60,000 junior officers were to be dismissed from active service, but would be afforded the opportunity to contract into a reserve status that would pay on average 20,600 rubles ($870) per month. The idea of establishing an operational reserve apparently gained some traction, based upon pronouncements by General Gerasimov. Reserve reforms may be one of the few instances in the highly controversial arena of Russian military reform, where both conservatives and reformers get what they want. Russia appears to be driving full ahead with a reserve system that maintains the large strategic reserve for potential mass mobilization, while developing a better operational reserve that can be called upon more frequently.
Russia went to the creation of a reserve army for several years. The need to have a trained military reserve was mentioned by Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2012 in his keynote article “Being Strong: Guarantees of Russia's National Security”. In May 2012, the need to create a mobile reserve was mentioned in the Presidential Decree "On the further improvement of military service in the Russian Federation."
Federal Law of the Russian Federation N 288-FZ "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation on the Creation of a Mobilization Manpower Reserve" was adopted on December 30, 2012. This made a decision on the creation of mobilization manpower reserves of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other troops, military formations and bodies and establishes the number of reservists, indicating their distribution among the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other troops, military formations and bodies on the proposal of the relevant federal executive bodies authorities, and also established the features of the formation of mobilization human reserves in the bodies of the federal security service.
For the mobilization deployment of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other troops, military formations and bodies, a reserve of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, a reserve of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, a reserve of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation were created, which are intended to staff formations, military units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other troops, military formations and bodies, as well as special formations during the period of mobilization, bringing them to combat readiness and in wartime.
The reserve consists of a mobilization manpower reserve and a mobilization manpower resource. A mobilization manpower reserve (hereinafter also referred to as a reserve) is understood to mean citizens who are in the reserve and who have duly entered into a contract on staying in a mobilization manpower reserve (hereinafter referred to as a contract on staying in a reserve). Mobilization manpower reserves of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, other troops, military formations and bodies are created by the President of the Russian Federation on the proposal of the relevant federal executive body and are formed according to the territorial principle.
The terms of the contract on staying in the reserve include the obligation of a citizen to stay in the reserve for the period established by the contract on staying in the reserve, to conscientiously fulfill the duties of a reservist established by this Federal Law, other federal laws and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation, as well as the right a citizen to observe his rights and the rights of his family members, including the receipt of social guarantees and compensations established by federal laws and other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation.
The first reserve contract is concluded for a period of three years. A new reserve contract may be concluded for a period of three years, five years, or for a shorter period - until the age limit for being in the reserve.
Further changes were made by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation N 370 "On the creation of a mobilization manpower reserve of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" was issued on July 17, 2015.
In Soviet times, a large number of citizens were called up for military training from the reserve, large-scale exercises were conducted with them, but in the Russian army it was decided to abandon this practice. This system was found to be inefficient and costly. Now a small number of reserve men are being called up, exclusively for scarce military registration professions. It is possible that a program would be implemented to create an institution of contract reservists, but serious research is needed in this area, it is necessary to involve trained people, experts from the field of economics and the social sphere, to take into account even the cultural factor and thus develop a unified approach with the help of great collective work.
The mobilization manpower reserve is the part of the citizens in the reserve who are kept in the most mobilized state. In other words, a person enlisted in the mobilization reserve would continue to live "in civilian life", but at the same time regularly undergo military training.
This differs from the system that had existed since Soviet times, when in the country all those who served in the armed forces, studied at the military department of a university, or served as an officer and went into the reserve are considered to be liable for military service, that is, in fact, reservists. Removal from military registration occured upon reaching a certain age - it varies from 35 to 70 years, depending on the rank and category of the person liable for military service.
In the event of the outbreak of war, these reservists must replenish with themselves the formations staffed according to the states of peacetime, that is, those units in which, in normal times, a minimum of military personnel, mainly officers, was retained. The advantage of this system is that formally in the USSR and Russia there were quite a few reservists who served in the army and were considered prepared for war. This made it possible to obtain a large army in a relatively short time. The disadvantage of such a system is the low military qualification of the reservists. Having served military service or having passed the training camp after the institute, after a few years they sometimes forget the skills acquired in the army, and are no longer much different from those who did not serve.
The idea with the mobilization manpower reserve is that civilian specialists who have served in the army maintain their military skills and receive new ones by regularly and frequently going through training camps and exercises.
By 2021 Russia was increasing the mobilization reserve due to the large amount of equipment in its Armed Forces (AF), which requires qualified personnel. “Tens of thousands of reservists were not drafted into the Russian army, this information is not true. In addition, reservists, in principle, are not called up anywhere, but are recruited for military training under a contract, ”the agency’s interlocutor said. According to him, the number of reservists would gradually increase over the coming years. “The main reason for the gradual expansion of the mobilization reserve is the greater level of modernity of the Russian Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and, accordingly, the increased range and number of new models of weapons and military equipment,” the source noted.
Such reservists would conclude a contract with the Ministry of Defense, receive certain money for being in the reserve and regularly participate in military training and exercises. Such reservists had been participating in military exercises since 2016, on an experimental basis.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the regulation on the new order of stay in the reserve of citizens liable for military service. The document, posted on the official portal of legal information, regulates the procedure for the stay of citizens in the so-called mobilization human reserve. This radically changes the entire system of mobilization training in the country.
Now a new system is being created in the country, when Russian citizens who are in the reserve can be transferred to the so-called mobilization human reserve in peacetime. To do this, they must conclude a contract. The first - for three years, the next - for three or five years. Certain requirements are imposed on reservists: a person must not have a deferment from military service, have an outstanding or not expunged conviction, be a defendant in a criminal case. There are also age restrictions. Soldiers and sailors will be able to conclude a contract with the Ministry of Defense until the age of 42, officers up to and including the captain - up to 47 years, majors and lieutenant colonels will be able to become reservists up to 53 years, and colonels - up to 57 years.
“Now the rearmament of the Russian army is actively underway, new military specialties are emerging that require constant advanced training,” said Sergey Zhigarev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee. “Proper use of storerooms is possible only if a person maintains the level of proficiency in his military specialty, and this is only possible by regularly involving them in military training.”
According to the legislator, today the prestige of military service is at a very high level. “Therefore, I am convinced that many citizens who are now in the reserve will participate in the mobilization training with great pleasure,” Sergey Zhigarev believes.
For being in the mobilization reserve, the troops will receive a salary from the Ministry of Defense with regular payment throughout the entire term of the contract. It is assumed that it will be 22 percent of the salary for the existing military position and the salary for the military rank. During the period of military training, reservists will receive a salary corresponding to the salary of a military man in a similar position. Reserves are also entitled to additional payments, in particular, a district coefficient and a monthly allowance for continuous stay in the reserve. It varies from 10 to 50 percent of the salary. Also, the bonus awaits the reservist at the conclusion of a new contract. During the period of military training, he will also retain the average salary at the enterprise or institution.
“Of course, this will require certain financial costs,” says Franz Klintsevich, a member of the State Duma Defense Committee. “But what talk about expenses when it comes to the security of our country. If something happens, we must clearly understand that we have a mobilization human reserve, which is able to get into operation literally in a matter of days and ensure the security of the state. The situation in the world today is such that the readiness of any military organization to ensure the security of its territories must be very high.”
In turn, the Ministry of Defense will regularly involve reservists "in activities for operational, combat and mobilization training during military training according to the plans of formations and military units to which they are assigned in accordance with the contract," the document says.
The total duration of military training for the entire period of stay in the reserve should not exceed 24 months. At least once every three years, a reservist is required to take a qualifying exam in accordance with the requirements for the military specialty for which he is listed in the reserve. The rest of the storerooms will be attributed to the so-called mobilization human resource. They will not receive money from the state, they will be called to military training much less often, and if necessary, they will not be called immediately, but in the second place.
“Today, when the Armed Forces must meet modern challenges and threats, be ready for use in the shortest possible time, equipped with modern weapons, highly intelligent combat and special equipment, it is necessary to have a manpower reserve that, when an alarm is announced, will quickly mobilize, stand up and be ready for fulfillment of a combat mission, ”a member of the State Duma Committee on Defense, Colonel General Viktor Zavarzin, explained to Parliamentary Newspaper . “The purpose of creating a mobilization manpower reserve is to ensure guaranteed additional staffing of military formations in a timely manner with military-trained military specialists.”
As noted in the Ministry of Defense, every year since 2016, units manned by reservists have been taking part in all major exercises held from Kamchatka to Kaliningrad, from the Arctic to the Crimea.
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