Mounting Offshore Operations Using the Reserve Forces and How It Impacted On Homeland Defence and Security - The United Kingdom Experience

Authors

  • Brigadier J. R. Thomson QVRM TD

Abstract

This short paper attempts to reflect on the UK experience of mounting offshore operations using the Reserve Forces in support of regular forces and its impact on homeland defence and security. The topic area is by definition both diverse by its nature and complex in its delivery. There is no right answer to the question of how to maximise the utility or value of a country’s Reserve Forces but there is recent evidence within some countries that they have remained an unclaimed treasure or a hidden resource. Their value as a ‘reserve of last resort’ was accepted albeit reluctantly in some countries whereas today they are becoming increasingly important to the sustainment of enduring operations around the world and as such, a ‘reserve of choice’. A recent meeting of the senior Army Reserve Officers of the ABCA countries concluded that all 5 nations faced similar issues, challenges, opportunities and threats for their Reserve Forces. The delivery of sustainable military capability from the reserves in support of ongoing worldwide operations and homeland defence and security would require new and innovative approaches by the military to guarantee the continued support and commitment of all the relevant stakeholders. In this paper, the author can only skim the surface of this important topic but in doing so he will attempt to highlight by example some of the lessons learned in the United Kingdom.

Author Biography

Brigadier J. R. Thomson, QVRM TD

Brigadier Thomson was born in Dalry, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was educated at Dalry High School; Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery in March 1973; University of Southampton where he read History 1976 - 1979; the Strathclyde Graduate Business School where he gained a Masters in Business Administration in 1987 and he is a graduate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (1988) and a graduate of the Institute of Direct Marketing (1997). In 2001, he gained Membership of the Institute of Learning and Teaching. He attended the Ecole Militaire, Paris (1989) and the Reserves NATO Defence College, Rome (1999). Brigadier Thomson is currently an academic at Napier University Business School, Edinburgh and holds a number of Non-Executive Directorships in both the public and private sectors. His specialisms are International Marketing and Strategic Management and he has carried out a wide range of international consultancy projects for the pharmaceutical industry, transport industry, carpet industry, tourism and leisure and the biotechnology industry. He has just returned from Hong Kong where he delivered an International Marketing Strategy Programme to professional managers who were studying for an MSc in Marketing. Militarily, he chaired the ABCA Nations Reserves Meeting at Upavon from the 22 – 26 September 2003. Brigadier Thomson began his military career as a Potential Officer in the Gunners and was selected for officer training at Sandhurst. He served for 5 years in the Regular Army as a Command Post Officer, Gun Position Officer and Platoon Commander in Northern Ireland where he gained the GOCs Commendation. He joined the TA in 1976 and first served as a Naval Gunfire Officer followed by Parachute Company, Aldershot and then Commando Training at Lympstone. He commanded C “City of London” (Lord Mayors Company) RRF before joining Glasgow & Strathclyde Universities Officer Training Corps as Commander Technical Wing. In 1988, he was selected to be Second in Command of 105 (Scottish) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) and went on to command the Regiment through Options for Change and was responsible for amalgamating the Scottish and Northern Ireland Regiments to form the 105th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers). In 1994 he was promoted Colonel and selected to be TA Colonel of 52nd Lowland Brigade based in Edinburgh Castle. In 1997, he became Divisional TA Colonel at HQ 2nd Division. In 2000, he was promoted to Brigadier and was selected to be Brigadier Territorial Army and on 1st July 2002 to be the Deputy Inspector General of the Territorial Army. Brigadier Thomson was appointed an ADC to H M Queen in 1997, is an Honorary Colonel Commandant of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Honorary Colonel of Glasgow & Strathclyde Universities Officer Training Corps, Chairman of the City of Edinburgh Officers Artillery Association, Vice Chairman of the Royal Artillery Council of Scotland and Chairman of the National Artillery Association. He was awarded the Queens Volunteer Reserves Medal (QVRM) in HM Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2003. He is an active sportsman and continues to compete at tennis and to swim and ride regularly. He enjoys gardening, the arts and interior design.

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Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2004): Winter 2004

Section

International Reserves Conference, Homeland Defence and Land Force Reserves, March 25-27, 2004