A few weeks ago Parliament began debating an amendment to the current legislation regulating the Armed Forces of Malta Emergency Volunteer Reserve Force. It was one of thefew occasions in Parliament wherethe proposals were supported unanimously by both government and Opposition members.
The original AFM Emergency Volunteer Reserve Force dates back to 1998 when a small intake of civilianswere recruited and subsequently organised into an Emergency Volunteer Reserve Unit with the intention of supporting the Armed Forces of Malta and other constituted authorities in times of national emergencies.
The proposed amendments are intended to give the now redesignated Volunteer Reserve Force a more important role and function in the day-to-day operations of the Armed Forces of Malta and not just to deploy in the event of a national emergency, when called upon to do so by the President of the Republic.
One would also expect that apart from improving the manner in which these reservists are organised and deployed, due consideration will be given to the introduction of a proper establishment (organisational structure) for the Volunteer Reserves, similar to the past composition and role of the Territorial Force which operated effectively in Malta until the early 1970’s.
This will permit the reserve force to operate as an autonomous unit with its own Volunteer Reserve commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and other ranks, operating side by sidewith their regular force counterpart.Obviously, one of the first steps following the approval of this Bill would be to increase the current strength of the Volunteer Reserve Force which has drastically decreased in recent years due to what appeared to be a lack of interest by those responsible.
The concept of a Volunteer Reserve Force ensures that Malta has an efficient body of trained uniformed volunteer troops, ready to augment the regular force of the AFM in case of need and at a fraction of the cost to the taxpayer. Volunteers are not paid a fixed salary and are normally only paid a disbursement for their attendance and participation in training and actual deployments.
Already existing and similar in structure to the Volunteer Reserve Force but not intended for military or national security purposes, are the Civil Protection volunteers and other volunteer NGOs like St. John Ambulance, St. John Rescue Corps, Malta Red Cross and ERRC, specialising in first aid and rescue, and which also provide highly trained volunteers who are prepared to assist the civilian population in times of natural disasters or masscasualty situations.
Many of the reserves are demotivated due to improperly organised training sessions and it was only recently that matters started to improve again
For many centuries, the Maltese soldier, whether regular force, reserve, militia or territorial, has always proven his or her worth whenever the need arose. We have had a history adorned with episodes of heroism, devotion and dedication to duty and the George Cross medal on our national flag is living proof of this memory. Most of Malta’s conflicts, including those overseas in both world wars, involved the active participation of militia or territorial units, many even giving up their life as the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of freedom.
From previous experience working with the Emergency Volunteer Reserve Force, one can safely state that the reservists have always proven themselves during training, in the qualification of army trades and specialist qualifications received and during regular training courses, due to their keen enthusiasm and 100% commitment when in uniform. The reserves have also contributed during situations where national security had to be tightened such as during the CHOGM in 2005.
Unfortunately, they have not always been given their deserved importance and at times were seen as a “second-class soldier”. Till date, the current Volunteer Reserve Force members have not even been issued the latest combat uniforms which were given to all AFM regular personnel over a year ago.
Numbers of the reserves are also dwindling as many of them are demotivated due to improperly organised training sessions and it was only recently that matters started to improve again. It is therefore anticipated that government will realise the genuine importance and need of having a significant number of well organised and adequately trained uniformed volunteers in the Armed Forces of Malta especially when one notices that the trend in most democratic countries nowadays is to have the majority of their armed forces personnel composed mainly of reservists and not regular (full-time) forces.
In light of the ever-increasing security threats posed by terrorist organisations and the recent spell of indiscriminate killings by terrorist groups in Paris,it is vitally important that every law-abiding citizen contributes in the fight against terrorism by maintaining a constant vigil. The enhancement of the Volunteer Reserve Force may indeed be one way in which such a vigil may be effectively maintained.
Reuben Lanfranco is a retired AFM officer and former director at MCAST Maritime Institute. He currently works as a maritime consultant.