How old do you have to be to join the Australian Army Reserves?
17. It’s easier for teenagers to join the Australian Army Reserve than the full time Army. We’ve got a few 17/18 year olds in my unit doing Reserve service while finishing their last year of high school. There’s not fixed period of service in the Reserves – you can opt out any time you want, except during the first three weeks of Kapooka. Each week, you’ll do a parade night at your unit – typically Tuesday night. Parade nights are 3-4 hours of training or work at the unit. In the Reserve Artillery, that usually means practicing our drills and cleaning the guns and mortars afterwards. Once a month, you’ll typically do a weekend. Recruits or soldiers doing training can opt to do more. This can be anything from what you do on parade nights stretched out across two full days, to additional recruit and employment training, adventurous training (ie, kayaking at taxpayer’s expense) or even small exercises. There’s one big exercise a year, ranging in length from 1-4 weeks. You’ll drive or fly
