Midlands Territorial Army soldiers told training cancelled to keep costs down
TA troops come together on one evening a week as well as on some weekends and during a two-week annual camp.
The base pay is the same as the regular army, underlining the shared dangers and commitment.
New entrants receive £33.73 a day as well as money for their travel, meals, and uniform.
The pay rises with rank, with privates receiving £42.07 a day, corporals getting £65.28 and sergeants on £74.20.
Among the officers, lieutenants receive £73.15 a day, captains get £93.74 and majors are on £118.08.
A Brigadier can receive as much as £254.04 a day.
Soldiers who complete their minimum training commitment also receive an annual tax-free bonus, ranging from £139 to more than £1,500.
In the UK the TA soldiers - everyone from lorry drivers to doormen, students, accountants and barristers - train at barracks based all over the country.
Many say their aim is to serve in war zones overseas although some are enjoying a break from regular civilian life.
Those who do volunteer to serve a six month tour of duty must also undergo a number of months in pre-deployment training.
Once deployed, TA soldiers fight alongside regulars, filling roles ranging from combat to medical and logistics.
About 6,900 TA soldiers took part in the invasion of Iraq, and 1,200 TA soldiers deploy on tours of duty each year, to Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans.
The MoD says the Cold War days when the TA was seen as a "force of last resort" are gone.
TA soldiers are usually accepted as valuable members of the units they join, appreciated for sacrificing their more sedate civilian lives.
The TA was born in April 1908, with the first force mobilised in 1914.
The size of the TA has fallen rapidly since Labour came to power, from more than 57,000 to a trained strength of around 19,000.
