The First Line Reserve (FLR) is intended to provide a pool of trained personnel who are available at short notice to supplement Permanent Defence Force (PDF) units in times of emergency. There is currently no set establishment for the FLR.
The existing regulatory framework provides for former members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) to join the Army Reserve or Naval Service Reserve. This is subject to their meeting certain criteria. Direct entry to the FLR is currently limited to personnel who are departing the PDF and have undertaken, either voluntarily or on foot of a contractual commitment, to complete a period of service in the FLR.
The FLR is an area which will be examined in the context of work arising from the Commission on the Defence Forces (CoDF). As an interim measure, the Department are receiving business cases from the Military Authorities for applications for personnel wishing to join the FLR. The applications are assessed on a case by case basis having regard to the particular skills-sets of the member. Since 2020, the Department has received 9 applications in total of which 6 have been approved and a further 1 is currently under consideration.
The Military Authorities have advised that as of 31 December 2023, the strength of the First Line Reserve (FLR) is 282,
comprising of 5 Officers, 46 Non Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and 231 Privates.
A full breakdown of FLR members, including those enlisted between the years 2013 – 2022, is as follows:
YEAR
|
FORMATION
|
OFFR
|
NCO
|
PTE
|
TOTAL
|
2023
|
ARMY
|
2
|
13
|
117
|
132
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
|
5
|
22
|
27
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
3
|
28
|
92
|
123
|
|
TOTAL
|
5
|
46
|
231
|
282
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2022
|
ARMY
|
|
13
|
121
|
134
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
|
4
|
22
|
26
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
3
|
27
|
90
|
120
|
|
TOTAL
|
3
|
44
|
233
|
280
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2021
|
ARMY
|
|
13
|
121
|
134
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
|
4
|
20
|
24
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
3
|
21
|
89
|
113
|
|
TOTAL
|
3
|
38
|
230
|
271
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2020
|
ARMY
|
|
14
|
118
|
132
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
|
4
|
20
|
24
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
3
|
16
|
87
|
106
|
|
TOTAL
|
3
|
34
|
225
|
262
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2019
|
ARMY
|
16
|
12
|
136
|
164
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
2
|
4
|
20
|
26
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
17
|
12
|
85
|
114
|
|
TOTAL
|
35
|
28
|
241
|
304
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2018
|
ARMY
|
16
|
11
|
130
|
157
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
2
|
4
|
19
|
25
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
17
|
9
|
80
|
106
|
|
TOTAL
|
35
|
24
|
229
|
288
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2017
|
ARMY
|
22
|
11
|
123
|
156
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
3
|
4
|
19
|
26
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
20
|
7
|
62
|
89
|
|
TOTAL
|
45
|
22
|
204
|
271
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2016
|
ARMY
|
25
|
10
|
109
|
144
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
6
|
4
|
18
|
28
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
22
|
4
|
50
|
76
|
|
TOTAL
|
53
|
18
|
177
|
248
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2015
|
ARMY
|
27
|
11
|
102
|
140
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
7
|
4
|
17
|
28
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
25
|
4
|
43
|
72
|
|
TOTAL
|
59
|
19
|
162
|
240
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2014
|
ARMY
|
27
|
10
|
113
|
150
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
7
|
4
|
15
|
26
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
27
|
7
|
43
|
77
|
|
TOTAL
|
61
|
21
|
171
|
253
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2013
|
ARMY
|
29
|
13
|
117
|
159
|
|
AIR CORPS
|
10
|
|
7
|
17
|
|
NAVAL SERVICE
|
29
|
9
|
33
|
71
|
|
TOTAL
|
68
|
22
|
157
|
247
|
I would like to assure the Deputy that it is my intention, and that of the Chief of Staff, to ensure that the momentum behind the regeneration of the RDF will be maintained, thereby enabling us, going forward, to create a Reserve Defence Force that can seamlessly train, operate and deploy with the Permanent Defence Force, both nationally and internationally.