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Categories of Service


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The Reserve has six categories:

  • High Readiness Active Reserve (with higher training and service obligations)
  • High Readiness Specialist Reserve (usually medical professionals)
  • Specialist Reserve
  • Active Reserve
  • Standby Reserve (with no set annual training commitment, but available for call out in times of need)
  • Other categories determined by Chief of Navy, Army or Air Force
Reservists can move from part-time to full-time service at different stages of their career to undertake specific duties or to participate in operational deployments, and then return to their civilian vocation.

There are four types of Reserve service:

  • Ordinary service undertaken as Reserve days. This includes activities such as annual exercises, weekend training and those courses undertaken as part of normal peacetime service.
  • Voluntary continuous full-time service undertaken on an unprotected basis.
  • Voluntary continuous full-time service, which has been designated as protected.
  • Compulsory continuous full-time service following call out by the Governor General under certain circumstances.
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Protected Service

Protected service gives protection to current, prospective and former Reservists and places legally binding obligations on employers in areas of perceived discrimination, hindrance, loss of status and entitlements because of their Reserve service. See ORSP

Employment protection requires employers to reinstate Reservists to their jobs at the end of full-time Defence service. It also ensures Reserve members cannot be compelled to use annual or long service leave for Defence service.

Education protection means Reservists who are students will be able to resume an education course they had to interrupt.
Protection against financial hardship and bankruptcy enables Reservists to postpone financial liabilities and protect against bankruptcy.

The table below outlines the various protection measures available under the Defence Reserve Service (Protection) Act 2001 and the types of service to which they apply:

Protection         Service to which protection applies
DiscriminationAll types of Reserve service
EmploymentAll types of Reserve service except unprotected continuous full-time service
PartnershipAll types of Reserve service except unprotected continuous full-time service
EducationProtected continuous full-time service and continuous full-time service following call out
Financial liabilityContinuous full-time service following call out
BankruptcyContinuous full-time service following call out
Loans and guarantees

Continuous full-time service following call out


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Unprotected Service

Unprotected service is service that has not been designated by the Chief of Navy, Army or Air Force (or their delegate) as protected. This means no special protection is available, apart from protection against discrimination, which provides basically the same employment protection for Reservists in both categories.

Unprotected service means employers can require Reservists to take annual or long service leave during their Reserve service.