by 
The Channel Islands’ only army reserve unit says it plays a crucial role in supporting UK defence efforts, despite recruitment challenges.
Maj David Watson said the islands were a “tricky” place to recruit, given the international nature of the workforce.
It comes as Jersey and Guernsey mark Armed Forces Week, with a number of events in each island.
Organisers say they want to “raise awareness of the courage and sacrifice” of military personnel.
Jersey does not make a financial contribution to the UK’s defence budget, instead, it maintains an army reserve unit, the Jersey Field Squadron.
Commanding officer Watson said ‘it still amazes him’ that some people do not know that it exists.
The unit, which forms part of the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers, has been involved in operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Cyprus and before that, the Balkans.
Watson said they aimed to have 68 personnel, but that current numbers are “a bit below that”.
“The whole of the British Army reserves in particular really have been struggling to get people in. In Jersey it can be quite tricky due to the transient nature of a lot of the workforce and individuals here,” he said.
To be able to join the Jersey Field Squadron, you need to have a British passport, or right to remain in the UK and live in Jersey or Guernsey.
Watson said: “The pool on Jersey alone is a little bit small, so being able to reach out to Guernsey means that we’ve got extra soldiers.”
Guernsey makes its contribution to the UK’s defence by maintaining the Alderney breakwater and passing on fees for processing passports.
Eliyah Schwartz is a member of the Jersey Sea Cadets, which recently had its Biennial Royal Naval Inspection.
She said being a cadet can give you “good experiences that you’ll have for life” including qualifications from first aid to seamanship.
Schwartz is due to join the Royal Navy in September and said she was “preparing physically and mentally to meet the demands”.
She urged young people on the island to consider joining the cadets: “You get loads from it…. we follow Royal Navy traditions, like the drills, seamanship and throughout basic training… I really enjoy the ceremonial parades such as Liberation Day and Remembrance Day.”
Those ceremonies form a key part of remembering the contribution of those who came before.
Guernsey’s Armed Forces Week Committee has been running a number of events this week as part of that effort.
Calum Le Noury is a member of the committee. Speaking at a flag raising ceremony in St Peter Port, he said it was “very much about raising awareness of the military community, and the courage and the sacrifice that some of these guys and girls have given over the years”.
The committee estimated there were about 2,000 ex-forces members in Guernsey, and said the annual events were also “an opportunity for people to get together socially”.
Darren Blake from the Jersey Joint Veterans Committee said “it is quite hard to adjust” to life after military service.
“You’ve got nobody telling you what to do, you’ve got to do it on your own accord”, he said.
“At the moment for armed forces guys, ladies as well, that come out of the forces, it’s quite a struggle for them to find jobs.”
Blake, who worked in the prison service after leaving the army, said although help was available in the Channel Islands, there were not as many charities around to support them, compared to the UK.
“We tend to be cut off… and sometimes we are forgotten in Jersey.”
Blake said that anybody who was “struggling mentally or physically” could contact the committee for support.
