Reservists Should Carry out More Front Line Roles, Think Tank Suggests

‘In the air force and navy, the services tend to use reservists in administrative roles rather than in real operational roles,’ said RAND Australia director.

Australian Defence Force (ADF) takes part in a joint military drills in Situbondo, Indonesia, on Nov. 13, 2024. Juni Kriswanto/AFP PHOTO/AFP via Getty Images

Australia should use reservists in more operational roles to improve the country’s defence capabilities, a parliamentary committee has been advised.

At a recent inquiry hearing, Andrew Dowse, director of RAND Australia—a branch of the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit global policy think tank—discussed strategies to bolster the Australian Defence Force (ADF), which is experiencing recruitment shortfalls.