Army Reserve Force Students
Encyclopedia
Army Reserve Force Students are a military youth organization in Thailand
under control of the Royal Thai Army.
the Yuwachon Thahan (or "junior soldiers", Thai
: ยุวชนทหาร) were established in 1934 by Field Marshal Luang Pibulsonggram. At the beginning of World War II
junior soldiers were sent to fight troops of the Japanese Empire that invaded
southern Thailand on 8 December 1941.
At the end of the war the junior soldiers were disbanded, but Lieutenant General Luang Chatnakrop (พล.ท. หลวงชาตินักรบ) created the Army Reserve Force Students to replace them in 1948. Today most students who participate in the reserve do so to avoid the chances of being drafted into the full-fledged military force for about three years. Because of this, the requirements for admission has risen recently.
Applicants who do not meet fitness test requirements are graded by their score, which measured their performance during the test. Applicants with higher score will have priority. Some other applicants who do not meet other criteria may be accepted in a case-by-case basis. If extra funding is available, more applicants will be accepted.
After these tests are completed, the ones that are chosen are given a beret in their succession.
Then they are sent to the shooting range where they are briefly taught about a rifle, the rifle in use here is the HK33 , M16
In Chiang Mai
, International school students are however trained at different sites, usually not at the main Territorial Defense School.
Army Reserve Force Students have to test:
Army Reserve Force Students have 5 grades:
Field training lengths (dependent on grade and gender of the student):
with Army Reserve Command insignia (Cross swords under The great crown of victory) on their collar beret and belt. Army Reserve Force Students distinguish their school and province by school's coat of arms
on the right shoulder, and province badge on left chest.
. At Ma Hat Bay (อ่าวมะหาด), the Japanese landed their troops on beaches from Ban Pak Nam Chumphon (บ้านปากน้ำชุมพร) to Ban Kho Son (บ้านคอสน). The 38th infantry battalion of the Royal Thai Army was about 17 km away from the location, which was too far away to intercept the invading Japanese troops in time. As a result, a near hundred of the junior soldiers and the police forces had to intercept the Japanese army at the western side of Tha Nang Sang bridge until the 38th infantry battalion would arrive. The junior soldiers and the police forces sent their 1st Light Machine Gun company across the bridge at 8.00AM and went through Wat Tha Yang Tai to block the Japanese reinforcements. The Commander of 38th infantry battalion wished to sent his 4th Heavy Machine Gun company across the bridge to protect the government offices located beside the Tha Taphoa river but the Japanese troops heavily opened fire against the Gun from the other side of the river. Suddenly, the junior soldiers, under command of Captain Thawin Niyomsen (ร้อยเอกถวิล นิยมเสน), commander of Chumphon Junior Soldiers Training Centre, ran cross the bridge to seize strategic points, the eastern side of the bridge. Under heavy Japanese gun fire, Captain Thawin was killed when he tried to find a new situation for his Light Machine Gun squad. The junior soldiers, headed by Sergeant Samran Khuanphan (สิบเอกสำราญ ควรพันธ์) from the Junior Soldiers Training Center, were able to maintain their position waiting for supporting forces. However, Thailand surrender to the Japan that noon.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
under control of the Royal Thai Army.
History
Prior to World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Yuwachon Thahan (or "junior soldiers", Thai
Thai alphabet
Thai script , is used to write the Thai language and other, minority, languages in Thailand. It has forty-four consonants , fifteen vowel symbols that combine into at least twenty-eight vowel forms, and four tone marks ....
: ยุวชนทหาร) were established in 1934 by Field Marshal Luang Pibulsonggram. At the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
junior soldiers were sent to fight troops of the Japanese Empire that invaded
Japanese Invasion of Thailand
The Japanese invasion of Thailand occurred on December 8, 1941. It was fought between Thailand and the Empire of Japan. Despite fierce fighting in Southern Thailand, Thai resistance lasted only a few hours before ending in a ceasefire.-Background:...
southern Thailand on 8 December 1941.
At the end of the war the junior soldiers were disbanded, but Lieutenant General Luang Chatnakrop (พล.ท. หลวงชาตินักรบ) created the Army Reserve Force Students to replace them in 1948. Today most students who participate in the reserve do so to avoid the chances of being drafted into the full-fledged military force for about three years. Because of this, the requirements for admission has risen recently.
Requirements
The current requirements are:- Thai nationality
- Age of younger than 22 years
- Must be approved by their parents or guardians
- A grade-point averageGrade (education)Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
of above 2.50 or certificate of passing senior scout - A doctor's certificate of health. People with disabilities, fatal sickness, disease or extreme eye problems such as color blind are not allowed.
- Body mass indexBody mass indexThe body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. BMI does not actually measure the percentage of body fat. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing...
of less than 30 (obesity) - Must have appropriate body height and size according to age
- Fitness test of a 1000 meter run in 3:15, 34 sit-ups in two minutes, and 22 push-ups in two minutes are also required (each test has score of 100 on its own, giving 300 in total) is also required and will be taken at the Territorial Defense School itself. Female applicants have more relaxed requirements.
- Male Students are also required to cut their hair so that the white of their scalp is visible on 3-sides, and a small patch of hair is visible on the top-most of the head. It is in fact, very similar to a Crew cutCrew cutA crew cut is a type of haircut in which the hair on the top of the head is cut relatively short, graduated in length from the longest hair at the front hairline to the shortest at the back of the crown. The hair on the sides and back of the head is usually tapered short, semi-short or medium. A...
Applicants who do not meet fitness test requirements are graded by their score, which measured their performance during the test. Applicants with higher score will have priority. Some other applicants who do not meet other criteria may be accepted in a case-by-case basis. If extra funding is available, more applicants will be accepted.
After these tests are completed, the ones that are chosen are given a beret in their succession.
Then they are sent to the shooting range where they are briefly taught about a rifle, the rifle in use here is the HK33 , M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
In Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, International school students are however trained at different sites, usually not at the main Territorial Defense School.
Study
Army Reserve Force Students have to study 20 weeks per year and a period of field training, but only common for grade 2 through grade 5 students. The students must be present for at least 80% and are not allowed to skip any exams. By the end of every semester Army Reserve Force Students have to pass an exam to continue their study into the next grade.Army Reserve Force Students have to test:
- Marksmanship test using a rifle, where amount and intensity of test depends on their grade
- Written test of 120 multiple-choice questions
- Physical test covering procedures, use of tools, and discipline learned during the year
Army Reserve Force Students have 5 grades:
- Students who complete grade 1 are equivalent to Private First ClassPrivate First ClassPrivate First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
and will halve their service period as a conscript. - Students who complete grade 2 are equivalent to CorporalCorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
and their service period will be only a quarter than that of a non-military student. - Students who complete grade 3 may request for permission to use the title SergeantSergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
, and are completely exempt from conscription. - Students who complete grade 4 are equivalent to Master SergeantMaster SergeantA master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...
- Students who complete grade 5 and their B.D. may ask for the title Acting Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. Also, on the graduation from their university, they are allowed to dress in white officer's uniform and wear a sword.
Field training lengths (dependent on grade and gender of the student):
- Grade 2 Male, at least 3 days
- Grade 3 Male, at least 5 days
- Grade 4,5 Male, at least 7 days
- Grade 2,3 Female, at least 3 days
- Grade 4,5 Female, at least 5 days
Small arms
| Name | Type | Caliber | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 86 M1911 The M1911 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, and recoil-operated handgun chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. John M. Browning designed the firearm which was the standard-issue side arm for the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985. The M1911 is still carried by some U.S.... |
Semi-automatic pistol | .45 ACP .45 ACP The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S... |
M1911A1 pistols produced under license. | |
| Type 11 | Assault rifle Assault rifle An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies... |
5.56mm 5.56x45mm NATO 5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge... |
Thai license produced version of the Heckler & Koch HK33. Used by Army Reserve Force Students Army Reserve Force Students Army Reserve Force Students are a military youth organization in Thailand under control of the Royal Thai Army.-History:Prior to World War II the Yuwachon Thahan were established in 1934 by Field Marshal Luang Pibulsonggram... . |
|
| M16A1/A2/A4 M16 rifle The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO... |
Assault rifle | 5.56mm | Standard infantry rifle. Aging M16A1 will be replaced by IMI Tavor TAR-21 IMI Tavor TAR-21 The TAR-21 is an Israeli bullpup assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition with a selective fire system, selecting between semi-automatic mode, burst mode, and full automatic fire mode. It is named after Mount Tavor, while "TAR-21" stands for "Tavor Assault Rifle - 21st Century". It is... and M16A4. |
|
| M4A1 Carbine M4 Carbine The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,... |
Assault rifle | 5.56mm | Used by special forces. Some were equipped with SOPMOD kit. | |
| M1 Garand M1 Garand The M1 Garand , was the first semi-automatic rifle to be generally issued to the infantry of any nation. Called "the greatest battle implement ever devised" by General George S... |
Semi-automatic rifle Semi-automatic rifle A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot... |
.30-06 .30-06 Springfield The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army... |
Locally known as the Type 88 self-loading rifle (ปลยบ.88). Used by Royal Guards and by Army Reserve Force Students as a non-firing training rifle. | |
| M1/M2 Carbine M1 Carbine The M1 carbine is a lightweight, easy to use semi-automatic carbine that became a standard firearm for the U.S. military during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and was produced in several variants. It was widely used by U.S... |
Semi-automatic rifle | .30 .30 Carbine The .30 Carbine is the cartridge used in the M1 Carbine introduced in the 1940s. It is an intermediate round designed to be fired from the M1 carbine's 18-inch barrel.-History:... |
Locally known as the Type 87 carbine (ปสบ. 87) Used by Army Reserve Force Students as a non-firing training rifle. | |
| Type 66 Arisaka Arisaka is a family of Japanese military bolt action rifles, in production from approximately 1898, when it replaced the Murata rifle, until the end of World War II in 1945... |
Bolt-action rifle | 6.5x50mm Arisaka | Some document claim that it is Arisaka produced under license but another document claim that it origin from switzerland.Locally known as the Type 66 self-loading rifle (ปลยบ.66).Used by Army Reserve Force Students as a non-firing training rifle | |
| Springfield | Bolt-action rifle | .30-06 Springfield .30-06 Springfield The .30-06 Springfield cartridge or 7.62×63mm in metric notation, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and standardized, and was in use until the 1960s and early 1970s. It replaced the .30-03, 6 mm Lee Navy, and .30 US Army... |
Used in small number and only some bootcamp. | |
| FN MINIMI FN Minimi The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries... |
Light machine gun Light machine gun A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:... |
5.56mm | ||
| M60 machine gun M60 machine gun The M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links... |
General purpose machine gun | 7.62mm | Former main GPMG being replaced by FN MAG 58 | |
| FN M2HB | Heavy machine gun Heavy machine gun The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I... |
12.7mm .50 BMG The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge... |
||
| M203 M203 grenade launcher The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was... |
Underbarrel Grenade launcher Grenade launcher A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand.... |
|||
| M79 M79 grenade launcher The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War... |
Single-shot Grenade launcher | |||
| M72 LAW M72 LAW The M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, and Frank A. Spinale et al... |
Shoulder-fired missile | |||
| RPG-2 RPG-2 The RPG-2 was the first rocket-propelled grenade launcher designed in the Soviet Union.-Development:The RPG-2 , was a man-portable, shoulder-launched rocket-propelled grenade anti-armor weapon... |
Rocket-propelled grenade | |||
| RPG-7 RPG-7 The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company... |
Rocket-propelled grenade |
Uniform and Insignia
Army Reserve Force Students wear a khaki-green uniform and beretBeret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
with Army Reserve Command insignia (Cross swords under The great crown of victory) on their collar beret and belt. Army Reserve Force Students distinguish their school and province by school's coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
on the right shoulder, and province badge on left chest.
Special training
About 200 4th grade Army Reserve Force Students who pass the physical test will be allowed to enter the parasail training course. There are rumors that the Reserve Affairs Center had suspended Parasail Training until further notice due to lack of funding.Battle of Tha Nang Sang Bridge
In the first day of Japanese invasion of South East Asia (8 December), the Japanese army sent their troops to many parts of Changwat ChumphonChumphon Province
Chumphon ) is one of the southern provinces of Thailand, at the shore of the Gulf of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani and Ranong...
. At Ma Hat Bay (อ่าวมะหาด), the Japanese landed their troops on beaches from Ban Pak Nam Chumphon (บ้านปากน้ำชุมพร) to Ban Kho Son (บ้านคอสน). The 38th infantry battalion of the Royal Thai Army was about 17 km away from the location, which was too far away to intercept the invading Japanese troops in time. As a result, a near hundred of the junior soldiers and the police forces had to intercept the Japanese army at the western side of Tha Nang Sang bridge until the 38th infantry battalion would arrive. The junior soldiers and the police forces sent their 1st Light Machine Gun company across the bridge at 8.00AM and went through Wat Tha Yang Tai to block the Japanese reinforcements. The Commander of 38th infantry battalion wished to sent his 4th Heavy Machine Gun company across the bridge to protect the government offices located beside the Tha Taphoa river but the Japanese troops heavily opened fire against the Gun from the other side of the river. Suddenly, the junior soldiers, under command of Captain Thawin Niyomsen (ร้อยเอกถวิล นิยมเสน), commander of Chumphon Junior Soldiers Training Centre, ran cross the bridge to seize strategic points, the eastern side of the bridge. Under heavy Japanese gun fire, Captain Thawin was killed when he tried to find a new situation for his Light Machine Gun squad. The junior soldiers, headed by Sergeant Samran Khuanphan (สิบเอกสำราญ ควรพันธ์) from the Junior Soldiers Training Center, were able to maintain their position waiting for supporting forces. However, Thailand surrender to the Japan that noon.