A thorough reform of the military reserve system is underway. What will change? Forms of service, organization of training, remuneration rules, and benefits for soldiers. Above all, however, the approach to what the military reserve represents in the modern armed forces.

Army is only as strong as its reserve force. This statement is particularly relevant today, given the war in Eastern Europe which requires the involvement of not only professional soldiers but also volunteers and conscripts. Meanwhile, the situation in Poland is far from ideal. “The society is changing, the environment is changing, yet the reserve system is still partly stuck in the era of compulsory basic military service, which stopped functioning 16 years ago,” says Col Paweł Wronka of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces.

The system is outdated, and the majority of reservists do not feel connected to the army. They consider their service in the reserve as a burdensome duty, and participation in training as an insignificant disruption in their daily life. On top of that, the army itself does not always have ideas how to utilize the potential of the reserve force. Another challenge is demography. “For years, about 100,000 trained people joined the reserve every year, because that was roughly the number of men drafted into basic military service. Due to this, we could afford to let older age groups gradually leave the reserve, as they were naturally replaced by new, very young people. We are talking about 20-year-olds who had some training and were familiar with the army and its rules,” says Col Paweł Wronka. Today, the lack of conscription on top of the demographic decrease mean there are fewer young people who could join the reserve. It is definitely time for introducing necessary changes. Col Paweł Wronka assures that it is an evolution, not a revolution, but the fact is that the system will undergo deep and thorough reorganization.

Side by Side

There are currently two types of reserve in the armed forces: passive and active. The former includes everyone who has a regulated relationship to military service – people who were once conscripts, professional soldiers, or simply received a category A in their qualification process. However, they must be under 60 in the case of privates, and under 63 in the case of non-commissioned officers and officers. The passive reserve also includes women who, due to their profession, are required to report for qualification, such as nurses, doctors, psychologists, or translators. Belonging to the passive reserve comes with several obligations. The most significant one is to report for duty in the event of mobilization or war. In peacetime, reservists may be called up to support the army in combating natural disasters or in search and rescue operations. They also participate in military exercises for up to 90 days a year.

As announced by the Ministry of National Defense, up to 200,000 reservists may be called up for such exercises by the end of 2026. In March, they trained at the 17th Mechanized Brigade. They were assigned, among others, to the logistics battalion. Professional drivers were put behind the wheel, but instead of driving civilian trucks, they drove military ones. Mechanics looked for faults in engines, this time not in civilian passenger cars, but in armored personnel carriers. “About 25 men aged 40 and above were assigned to my unit. All of them had completed basic military service in the past, so we didn’t start from scratch,” says Lt Łukasz Makaryk of the 17the Mechanized Brigade. The reservists were aware of the hierarchy, regulations and the strict daily schedule that apply in the military. At the same time, they had the opportunity to expand and develop their skills. “During such exercises, we always plan fire drills to give reservists a chance to revise the rules of using weapons and, if possible, learn about new types of armament. We also want to make the most of their professional skills,” explains the officer. Called up for a dozen or so days, they become part of a complex organization. “When they come for training, they fill specific wartime positions within the battalion’s structure. They work side by side with professional soldiers,” emphasizes Lt Łukasz Makaryk, praising his subordinates for their commitment.

Looking at the problem from a broader perspective, however, it is difficult to be optimistic, because trainings do not always run as smoothly as they did in this case. “Reservists are called up for exercises, they arrive at the unit, and it turns out there’s no equipment for them; no vests, no helmets. It’s unacceptable for a reservist to stand next to a professional soldier and look like they’ve come from a different era,” says Col Paweł Wronka.

The situation is better when it comes to the active reserve. This offer is addressed to those who wish to serve in military units – both domestically and as part of Polish military contingents. It is open to volunteers who have taken the military oath and are not currently performing any other type of military service. “Even in its current form, it meets all the requirements of a modern reserve. Not only does it assign a soldier to a specific unit, but it also ensures regular contact with that unit, training, and skill development. It’s a good way to utilize the experience of specialists who have already returned to civilian life,” says LtCol (Res) Grzegorz Lewandowski, PhD, of the War Studies University (ASzWoj).

This is the path chosen by 2ndLt (Res) Adrian Kapłaniak of the 12th Mechanized Brigade. He had spent almost 20 years in active military service, and decided to stay at the unit after retiring. “Over the course of those 20 years, I went from private to officer, I served on two missions in Afghanistan. I figured that my experience might still be useful in the army,” he explains. Today, he serves as a junior education and welfare officer. He works at the unit five times a week, just like Commander (Res) Krzysztof Kudelski of the 3rd Ship Flotilla. Before he decided to take off his uniform in 2021, he had served in the crew of a reconnaissance ship, later at the Maritime Operations Center – Maritime Component Command, and finally at the current Armament Agency. After that, he decided to take another path and worked for a security company protecting ships. Ultimately, however, he returned to the Navy. Why? “For several different reasons. Generally, though, the prospects in the Navy were more interesting than the offer of the civilian market,” he admits. He returned to the army, this time as a reservist, in the spring of 2025. Today, he serves in the flag officer department, which handles strategic and operational planning, among other things. “I serve the Navy with my knowledge,” he argues.

The exact number of reservists supporting the army on similar terms is unknown. Such information is classified. However, it is certain that not all of them are required to serve in units in such a broad capacity as the officers mentioned. Under current regulations, active reserve soldiers are required to serve at least once every quarter for at least two days, as well as once every three years for two weeks. They do not have to give up their other employment to do so.

It is still not enough, though. The army needs a vast number of well-prepared reservists, ready to contribute to building the national defense system. This is precisely what the reform is intended to address.

Two Tiers into One

An army of 500,000 – these words are repeatedly uttered by the Minister of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, in his speeches, and refer to the target number of soldiers in the Polish Armed Forces. He also used it in February, during a conference at the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, announcing that the year 2026 will be the year of the reserve force and reservists. They are to be one of the components of the half-million-strong army. “The minister didn’t say: army 300 plus 200. Now, professional soldiers, Territorial Defense Force soldiers and reservists will constitute three components of a single, integrated system. We are putting an end to a two-tier military,” declares Col Paweł Wronka.

In the new approach, the reserve will be based on three pillars. In addition to the active reserve, there will be two types of passive reserve: high readiness and permanent readiness. These are intended to strictly bind soldiers to specific military units. They will be open only to volunteers – both men and women.

High-readiness reserves will support first-tier units – those that must be ready for action within five to seven days in the event of mobilization. Second- and third-tier units, meanwhile, will be supported by the permanent readiness reserve. “We can’t discuss the details yet, as they are still being finalized, but the high-readiness reserve will be a more demanding service, with a larger number of training days. It is also associated with higher financial compensation,” explains Col Paweł Wronka. Remuneration is provided both for participation in exercises and for simply remaining on standby. Reservists will have to prove the latter during so-called ‘mobilization days,’ which test whether they are actually able to report at a designated location with the required equipment within a specified time limit.

Importantly, reservists will have an opportunity to develop their competencies if they volunteer to take part in additional trainings. “We are still working on the program, but I can already say that there will be weapons trainings, including pistol and rifle shooting, battlefield medicine and SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) trainings,” says Col Paweł Wronka. The new system is to be based not only on a stronger bond between reservists and the army, but also on a greater degree of voluntary participation. “We don’t want a situation where someone attends training only because they fear legal consequences if they refuse,” he adds.

Volunteers will receive benefits. They will be supplied with the same uniforms as the professional army and have the same access to modern equipment. This is already in place in some units, but the goal is to extend this standard across the entire army. “We want reservists, just like soldiers in the Territorial Defense Force, to have basic equipment on hand, including a uniform that they take care of themselves and that they wear to training. If someone truly identifies with the military, it’s natural that, having a uniform at home, they can also wear it on various holidays or occasions if they feel the need to do so. We also want commanders to think about their reservists and invite them to unit ceremonies – these are their soldiers, regardless of whether they are in professional service or not,” says Col Paweł Wronka. Every detail will be important, because such details build a sense of community, and, consequently, the strength of the army.

Cadet Schools 2.0

The first step remains the key issue. Before reservists can begin to improve their skills, they must have basic military knowledge. The authorities have implemented numerous military training programs. The intention is to provide young people with a pathway into the army or, if they ultimately decide not to join its ranks, to ensure that they will be prepared as reservists in the event of a war.

The flagship initiative is voluntary basic military service. The program is designed for anyone who is at least 18 years old, healthy, and has a clean record. Candidates apply at military recruitment centers, and after successfully passing the qualification process, they are sent to a 28-day basic training. After completing it, they take an oath and decide whether they want to join the reserve forces or undergo 11 months of specialist training, after which they can apply for admission to professional service. “Voluntary basic military service recruitment and training began when the Homeland Defense Act took effect in the first half of 2022,” explains Capt Michał Gełej, spokesperson for the Central Military Recruitment Center. By the end of 2025, nearly 93,000 volunteers had completed basic military training. 44,500 of them opted for specialist training. The rest joined the passive reserve, the active reserve or enlisted in the Territorial Defense Force.

Vanessa Merta, who is studying internal security at the University of Szczecin, has already completed basic training. “What prompted me to do this? To be honest, the idea had been on my mind for quite some time. First, some of my family members are in the military; second, sadly, we’re living in difficult times. And I feel that what I’m doing will, to some extent, contribute to the safety of my loved ones,” she explains.

Soon, new opportunities will open up for people like her. In the second half of the year, the so-called reserve pathway will be launched as part of the government’s “wGotowości” (inReadiness) voluntary training program. Here, the starting point will also be a 28-day basic training course. Participants will learn to shoot, get familiar with elements of tactics and military regulations. After completing the course, they will join the reserve force, with the opportunity to improve their skills during regularly organized exercises.

On top of that, the government plans to reinstate reserve officer cadet schools that were common during the interwar period, with a view to properly prepare the reserve force. Such schools will operate at civilian universities and allow students to simultaneously pursue their academic studies and acquire military officer skills. Future reserve officer cadets are to receive a scholarship of 1,000 zlotys per month. “We hope that this will be an additional benefit offered to candidates by the universities, so they will be interested in joining the program,” says Col Paweł Wronka, adding that the military is open to cooperation not only with technical universities. They are, of course, an intuitive choice, but the military needs people of various specializations that can be obtained at other universities: psychologists, medical professionals, and philologists.

Candidates for reserve officers will have to devote a month of their summer break before starting their studies to a 28-day basic training course. During the academic year, the plan is primarily to hold a series of single-day lectures once a month. During summer breaks, the cadets will return to their units for 28 days to gain practical skills. “After the third year of studies, the 28-day training will end with an officer’s exam. In order to be promoted to an officer rank, candidates will have to obtain a university diploma,” explains Col Paweł Wronka.

Now for the most important point: reservists, regardless of the training path they choose, will be able to apply for professional service at any time. For people like Vanessa Merta, this option is particularly important. “In my case, basic training is just the beginning. I’ve always dreamed of the military and I intend to return to those plans,” she admits.

Medic in the Corps

Meanwhile, two other projects that the military has been developing for some time, the Cyber Legion and the Medical Legion, will also play an important role in the newly established system. These initiatives address one of the greatest challenges facing modern armed forces: finding ways to attract well-paid specialists from the civilian sector and leverage their skills.

The Cyber Legion and the Medical Legion are special initiatives that allow specialists to combine their civilian careers with involvement in supporting the military. In the case of the Medical Legion, after just five days of basic training, one can be transferred to the passive reserve or apply for transfer to the active reserve. The obligations are the same as those of all reservists, but there are also opportunities for professional development, including participation in specialized training courses, such as TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) or battlefield medicine. For people with higher medical education, the pathway to the reserve officer corps is also open.

Similar development opportunities are offered in the Cyber Legion, designed for individuals specializing in broadly defined IT and cybersecurity. If they choose to pursue the Cyber-Backup pathway, they are assigned to the Cyberspace Defense Forces Component Command. “Those who want to serve within the framework of the Cyber Legion come to us for short-term military training, take the oath, and join the passive reserve on a full-time basis in the Cyberspace Defense Forces’ personnel reinforcement company,” explains LtCol Przemysław Lipczyński, spokesperson for the Cyberspace Defense Forces Component Command.

As reservists, they will be called up for exercises, but also for active duty if necessary – for example, in the event of a cyber attack on critical infrastructure (see pp. 84–85 to read more on this topic). The Cyber Legion also offers the possibility to change mobilization assignments. “Sometimes we have world-class specialists who are still assigned, for example, as riflemen in a mechanized unit. We cannot afford to waste such potential,” adds LtCol Lipczyński.

Both initiatives demonstrate that the reforms are not superficial, but rather represent a fundamental shift in how we think about who reservists are and what role they should play in the national defense system. “Given the current geopolitical situation and the full-scale war in Ukraine, further reform of the reserve force is essential. We need a large and well-trained reserve that will not only enable an efficient expansion of the army to the strength required for wartime, but also allow for the creation of an effective system for replenishing personnel losses during war,” believes LtCol (Res) Grzegorz Lewandowski. It is difficult to predict how significant such losses would be in the event of a potential war, but an efficient and well-developed reserve force could prevent war from breaking out altogether, as the very fact that Poland possesses such a force would act as a deterrent to a potential adversary.

BrigGen Rafał Miernik, PhD: “Changing the reserve training model does not mean that we are »provoking a war.« We want to foster a specific culture of safety.”

A large and well-trained reserve is of fundamental importance to the armed forces. In peacetime, it fits perfectly into the strategy of deterrence. In wartime, it ensures the continuity of operations on the battlefield. It allows for efficient replenishment of losses, as well as rotation of fighting subunits. Thanks to the reserve force, we improve the conditions of service for soldiers, and thereby strengthen national defense capabilities. Also, by expanding the reserve now, we are making sure that in an extreme situation, we won’t be forced to train reservists under fire, the way the Ukrainians now have to.

I would like to emphasize, however, that changing the reserve training model does not mean we are ‘provoking a war.’ We want to build a certain kind of security culture – one similar to what we see in Finland, where the army’s strength relies largely on conscripts and reservists. We are fostering an ethos of service among our citizens. We are convincing them that it is worth strengthening ties with the military, not only in the interest of society, but also as an opportunity to have an adventure, make new friends, and gain skills that may prove useful in daily and professional life.

Naturally, this requires many changes on the part of the military. For one thing, it is important that reservists have access to the latest equipment and at the same time enjoy favorable conditions of service, also in terms of remuneration. For example, students who decide to enroll in reserve officer cadet schools can count on monthly scholarships of 1,000 zlotys.

We are also opening up new pathways for volunteers interested in military training. Training for reservists under the “wGotowości” program will begin soon, along with the aforementioned reserve officer cadet schools, where future officers will be prepared for service. We also want to create prospects for promotion within the reserve itself, establish a credible career path for reserve soldiers. We are developing a training system to enhance individual skills of reservists who have mobilization assignments. This approach would support the existing reserve training system and cater to the individual preferences of the trainees themselves, who would register online and select a convenient time and location for training, just as they do in the case of already existing training courses within the “wGotowości” program.

BrigGen Rafał Miernik, PhD, is the Chief of the Training Directorate P7 at the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces.