Royal Netherlands Army reserve

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The Royal Dutch Army National Reserve (in Dutch corps Nationale Reserve, abbreviated Natres) is part of the Operational Commando (Dutch Operationeel Commando) (Opco) of the Royal Netherlands Army and exists as of 2006 of about 3.500 reservists. The reservists are volunteers in their spare time and are essentially part-time soldiers. The Natres is corps in the sense that it is a regiment which recruits nationally.

In case of war or when there is a threat of war the NATRES battalions take provide surveillance and security of strategic objects like bridges, power stations etcetera. The Natres also has a general national defence rôle to defend the integrity of national territory. Non-combat rôles of the Natres include disaster relief and military assistance to civil authorities. An example of this is the assistance two battalions gave during the flooding of the province of Limburg in 1995. The other main functions are Host Nation support and functioning as opposing force during exercises and for training purposes.

Currently the National Reserve consists of five Light Role battalions which belong to the three Regional Military Commands. The regions with the corresponding Natres battalions are as follows.

10 Natresbataljon (Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe): RMC Noord
20 Natresbataljon (North Holland, South Holland): RMC West
30 Natresbataljon (Zeeland, North Brabant, Limburg): RMC Zuid
40 Natresbataljon (Gelderland, Overijssel): RMC Noord
50 Natresbataljon (Utrecht, Flevoland): RMC West

Natres units and personnel are not deployed abroad, their charter does not allow this. Individual soldiers (mostly NCO's and officers) are deployed as individual replacements or specialists, but always voluntarily. When a reservist is deployed he does so under the capbadge of the regular unit he is attached to.