Emmanuel Macron encouraged the French to commit as reservists to the armies, the gendarmerie and the police. A remunerated activity which can lead to being mobilized on various missions.
“The homeland needs you, your commitment,” said Emmanuel Macron to the French during his speech on March 5, 2025. A way to encourage more citizens to join the military operational reserve at a time when “threat [russe] returns to the east “. The Minister of the Armed Forces also evokes, regularly, the increase in the number of reservists in the armies, the gendarmerie and the police with one goal: to have 160,000 reservists by 2030, twice as much as the 84,000 reservists currently committed.
The Army, the Air Force and the French Navy recruit reservists who, once engaged, must be able to be mobilized on various missions listed by The Ministry of Armed Forces : operational combat missions on the national or outside France; protection and resilience missions of the national territory with the defense of military and civil sites during sentinel operations; competence missions on an area of expertise; and radiation missions to strengthen the link between the nation and the armies.
From the main lines common to the three armies, to which are added missions more specific to the needs of each military body. “The army really seeks part -time soldiers, which allow either to increase regiments with low notice or replace losses, there too in a very short time. The Navy and the Air Force do not have these issues but need more technical profiles, specialists,” explains the reservist Stéphane Audrand at the Parisian.
The recruitment of reservists and the allocation of missions is therefore done according to the profile of each candidate, in particular their level of study, their particular skills, and a possible military past knowing that having already had experience in the armies is not compulsory. Students can finally be recruited for field or logistics operational missions in land and air armies or crew member in the navy. The more qualified people can obtain grades (military of the rank, non-commissioned officer or officer) and be awarded corresponding missions. Finally, people with university degrees, large schools or specific skills and expertise can join specific units such as intelligence, communication, engineering, human resources, logistics or even piloting for the specific needs of the air army or even diving in the navy. Each precise armed Offers open to reservists by specifying the necessary skills and the duration of the commitment.
In addition to the armies, the gendarmerie and the police recruit reservists. In these sectors, missions differ and respond to three main categories: security, anti-terrorist and judicial police missions to support during surveys.
Remunerated missions
The members of the military operational reserve are remunerated for their commitment. Reservists sign contracts that can range from 1 to 3 years and up to 5 years maximum, renewable. They can be mobilized on military activities for a fixed period with the military authority which employs them and for a maximum of 60 days per year. A volume that can increase to 150 or 210 days under special conditions. On average, reservists are engaged on missions 37 days a year.
These missions are remunerated according to different scales depending on the military body joined. The army pays reservists between “40 € and 200 € per day depending on your rank”. A sum to which are added “specific compensation due to the functions exercised, the risks run, the place of exercise of the service or the quality of the services rendered”. The navy evokes remuneration “from € 53 per day” which “evolves during the commitment contract according to your advancement to the upper grades”. In the gendarmerie, the remuneration is at least € 60 per day depending on the reservist’s level, in police it starts at € 74 in the region and € 80 in Ile-de-France. These remuneration is clear of taxes.
Note that these remuneration is only valid for operational reservists, the members of the Citizen Defense and Security reserve being volunteers.
Who can become a reservist?
It is necessary to meet several criteria to be able to become a reservist: to be of French nationality, to be at least 17 years old, to be in good standing with regard to the obligations of the national service, to have been condemned for a crime and to enjoy its civil rights. It is necessary to present a good physical condition which will be evaluated during a medical visit with a military doctor. Note that according to the military bodies a maximum age can also be a criterion for less than 72 years in the army, under 67 years in the police and under 45 years in the gendarmerie. Military training is not necessary, the latter being planned during the recruitment process.