Amongst the 40 were 2Lt Rob Falconer (TA), 2Lt Andrew Pugsley (RMR LONDON), Sub Lt Gemma Fox (HMS KING ALFRED), Lt Paul Ladislaus (HMS CALLIOPE), Lt Sally Armstrong (HMS VIVID) and Lt Kathleen Standen (HMS WILDFIRE). The six reservists were participating in the Young Reserve Officers’ Workshop (YROW), an important component of the Congress. Lt Hannah MacKenzie (HMS WILDFIRE), a participant in YROW 2008, also attended as a Syndicate Facilitator for one of the groups of YROWs.
‘Enabling NATO Operations through effective Employer Support’, the theme of this year’s Symposium, was the topic of discussion for young reserve officers as they brainstormed how they could make their military and civilian careers complement one another. The participants came to Turkey to share their experiences with the hope of finding some solutions. Many of the young reservists brought firsthand experience of what it’s like not to have the support of civilian employers for military training and deployments and through the workshop, they drew information and ideas from reservists who had more employer support. Not all countries have organisations such as the UK’s SaBRE (Supporting Britain’s Reservists and Employers) to fight the reservist’s corner.
Aside from working to improve employer support, YROW Chair Lt Adam Slonecki from HMS PRESIDENT sees another benefit to the Workshop. “I see junior officer development," he says, "like meeting international officers and engaging with and understanding how their armed forces operate.”
As NATO’s role develops, there is increased use of reserve forces in multi-national operations. YROW offers young reserve officers a unique opportunity to learn from working with their allies, and keeping in mind that, for many, this will not be the last time these officers will be working alongside international colleagues, Lt Slonecki adds, "Many may be in a hostile environment with officers from other countries, and this will help them quickly identify how these officers work, so why not learn this in a safe environment like YROW.”
The workshop also helped the young officers develop and improve their communications skills as once all of the recommendations on employer-support were collected by the young officers, they presented their ideas to the CIOR President for him to include with the rest of the Congress reports and submit to the Military Committee, as the CIOR is a voice for reserve issues to the NATO alliance.
“This is an opportunity," says Lt Slonecki, "for senior officers to see what policies and suggestions young reserve officers compile, and use them in the future.”
Any reserve officers under the age of 30 and of Lieutenant (RNR) or Captain (RMR/TA) equivalent or below, who would like to attend YROW 2009 in Sofia, Bulgaria, should make contact with the UK Reserve Forces Association Secretariat This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Report by: Sub Lt Laura Harrison RNR, HMS WILDFIRE, CIOR Public Affairs Committee
Contribution from: Cheryl MacLeod, Maple Leaf Magazine
