Colchester has been a garrison town for over a century. The town is home to 16 Air Assault Brigade and a significant military community — serving personnel, families, veterans, and reservists. The relationship between the military and the town is visible and well established, from the garrison itself to the housing, schools, and local services that support the military community.
Unlike civilian employment, where statutory sick pay replaces only a fraction of your salary, serving personnel continue to receive their full basic pay, including X-Factor, while they are on the sick. Whether you are recovering from a training injury, dealing with a mental health condition, or waiting for surgery, your monthly pay continues as normal.
Catterick Garrison is the largest garrison in the British Army, home to thousands of serving personnel, their families, and a significant veteran and reservist community across North Yorkshire. It is also home to the Infantry Training Centre, where new soldiers begin their careers.
Folkestone has been a garrison town since 1794, when the Army first established Shorncliffe Camp on the heights above the coast. Today, Sir John Moore Barracks is home to the 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, one of the most respected infantry units in the British Army. If you’re serving at Shorncliffe, or you’re a veteran or family member living in the Folkestone and Hythe area, this page is for you.
Invicta Park Barracks has been part of Maidstone since the 1930s, and 36 Engineer Regiment has called it home since 1959. The Queen’s Gurkha Engineers are based here too. If you’re serving at Invicta Park, or you’re a veteran or family member living in the Maidstone area, this page is for you.
Most serving personnel know they have an Armed Forces pension. Fewer know what it’s actually worth or how it builds over a career. The Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 (AFPS 15) is the current scheme for all serving Regular and Reserve personnel, and it works differently from the older AFPS 75 and AFPS 05 schemes it replaced.
Understanding your armed forces pension value now, rather than at the point of discharge, puts you in a far stronger position to plan.
Salisbury Plain is home to thousands of serving personnel and their families — and service life here comes with financial realities that standard civilian providers rarely understand. From MOD allowances to Forces Help to Buy, this guide covers what personnel at Tidworth, Bulford and Netheravon need to know, and how Absolute Military supports the garrison on the ground.
Stepping off the square at ATR Pirbright or Winchester and arriving at your first phase 3 unit or field regiment is a massive milestone. But along with your new responsibilities comes something else you’ve been waiting for: your first full, regular Army payslip.
If there’s one universal truth in the British Armed Forces, it’s this: you can tab for miles, survive on brews and biscuits, and still forget to insure half the kit you rely on daily. And while most of us assume standard home insurance has our backs, the reality is… it usually doesn’t.
The MOD Kit Liability Scheme determines when serving personnel must pay for lost or damaged military kit and when the Ministry of Defence (MOD) covers the cost. It exists because military equipment is expensive, issued on trust, and essential for operational readiness. Understanding how liability works helps service members avoid unexpected charges and choose the right insurance protection.