Army Training Units provide Basic Training for a proportion of Army Reserve recruits in the British Army.
Description
Army Training Units are commanded and staffed by UK Army Reservists. Along with Regular Army Training Regiments, they provide Basic Training to Army Reserve recruits, except those joining 4 PARA. Reserves recruits are selected at an Army Recruit Selection Centre. They then undertake a short basic training course known as ‘alpha', over four weekends or a residential week. The alpha course is followed by a 15.5-day residential 'bravo' course to achieve trained soldier status. These generic courses teach essential elements of the Regular Common Military Syllabus 2014. Recruits will then attend Initial Trade Training courses as stipulated by their cap badge / Corps. The Honourable Artillery Company currently runs its own alpha course twice a year.
Background
ATUs were created as Regional Training Centres - which were in turn created from Brigade Specialist Training Teams - to provide basic training and specialist courses for the UK Army Reserve. They were originally commanded and administered by their local Regional Forces Brigade. From 2012 they were renamed Army Training Units and command of the ATUs passed to Initial Training Group, part of the Army Recruiting and Training Division, now part of ARITC. ITG is responsible for all Army Basic Training, both Regular and Reserve, except Regular Standard Entry Infantry. In 2013-14, ATU South moved from Malta Barracks, Aldershot to Pirbright and was then closed, with its staff subsumed into 2 ATR as its Reserves-only D Company. ATUs were further rationalised in 2017, with two units amalgamating to become ATUs North and West. ATU West Midlands retained its location but was reduced to a training company of ATR Grantham. This rationalisation also meant the removal of specialist course delivery and the deletion of the 'S' Companies at the ATUs. This training is now delivered by the relevant Defence, ARITC or Land Warfare Centre Schools.
