Home Command (United Kingdom)

Home Command (United Kingdom)
Unit name	Home Command
Dates	2015–present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Administrative Command
Role	Personnel, recruitment, basing and training
Garrison	Marlborough Lines, Andover
Commander1	Commander Home Command

Home Command (United Kingdom) is a principal administrative command of the British Army formed in 2015 to consolidate responsibility for personnel, recruitment, basing and civilian integration. It provides oversight of reserve forces, cadet organisations, estate management and welfare across the United Kingdom, working alongside Army Headquarters, Field Army, Ministry of Defence, and devolved institutions such as the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Home Command interfaces with statutory agencies including the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, and Department for Health and Social Care to support resilience, ceremonial duties and national contingency planning.

History

Home Command was established in the context of strategic reviews such as the Army 2020 programme and the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, succeeding elements of Personnel and Support Command and 6th Infantry Division responsibilities. Early lineage draws on historical organisations including Home Defence (United Kingdom) arrangements from the First World War and the Second World War territorial system, and reforms influenced by recommendations from inquiries like the Armed Forces Pay Review Body. The command evolved through initiatives such as Army 2020 Refine and adaptations following the Integrated Review 2021, absorbing functions previously located at Winchester and Larkhill garrisons. High-profile interactions have included support to operations related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom and domestic resilience exercises linked to Operation Temperer and national ceremonial events like Trooping the Colour.

Role and Responsibilities

Home Command directs personnel policy, recruitment campaigns, and career management for serving and reserve soldiers, coordinating with institutions such as the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Defence Medical Services, and Adjutant General's Corps. It manages the UK-wide Army Cadet Force and Combined Cadet Force, liaising with the Ministry of Defence Police and civic partners like London Borough of Westminster for ceremonial and ceremonial security tasks. The command is responsible for estate rationalisation across sites such as Aldershot Garrison, Colchester Garrison, and Catterick Garrison, and for implementation of welfare policy developed in consultation with bodies like the Veterans UK and the Veterans' Advisory and Pensions Committee. It also provides support to national contingency planning involving the National Health Service, Local Resilience Forums, and the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 frameworks.

Organisation and Structure

Home Command is headquartered at Marlborough Lines in Andover and is organised into directorates covering personnel, training, reserves, cadets and estates. Subordinate elements include the Army Recruitment and Initial Training Command elements such as Training Command schools and links with the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. The command oversees regional administration units aligned with brigades like 1st (UK) Division and supports interaction with the House of Commons Defence Committee. Command relationships extend to the Joint Forces Command (now UK Strategic Command) for cross-service personnel integration and to the Ministry of Defence senior civil service for policy delivery.

Operations and Activities

Operational activities focus on home-front tasks: recruitment campaigns in partnership with commercial agencies, cadet exercises and competitions such as those involving the Army Cadet Force and Combined Cadet Force, and support to ceremonial events including Remembrance Sunday and state occasions hosted at Buckingham Palace. Home Command has coordinated Defence posture during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom by supporting vaccination sites and logistics with the National Health Service (England), and contributed to multi-agency resilience operations like responses to major incidents under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and local Emergency Planning College frameworks. It also conducts personnel prioritisation for overseas deployments tied to operations such as those formerly in Afghanistan and ongoing NATO commitments linked to Operation CABRIT.

Personnel and Training

Home Command manages career pathways, selection and promotion boards, and medical and welfare services in conjunction with the Defence Medical Services, Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces, and trade unions such as the Civil and Public Services Association. It supervises initial training delivered at establishments including Army Training Centre Pirbright, Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College alumni pathways, and commissioning through the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Reserve integration programmes coordinate with the Army Reserve, Territorial Army heritage, and employer engagement through the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme. Professional development is underpinned by doctrine from the British Army Doctrine Centre and education links with the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.

Equipment and Support Resources

While primarily an administrative command, Home Command manages basing infrastructure, accommodation, and logistic support at garrisons such as Aldershot Garrison, Catterick Garrison, and Colchester Garrison, working with contractors on estate projects under the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. It oversees support to training ranges like Salisbury Plain Training Area and coordinates with specialist units such as the Royal Logistic Corps, Royal Army Medical Corps, and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers for maintenance, medical support, and supply chains. Procurement and facilities upgrades are subject to oversight by the Ministry of Defence Procurement Executive and the National Audit Office for expenditure review.

Controversies and Public Perception

Home Command has faced scrutiny over estate closures and garrison realignment decisions echoed in debates in the House of Commons and reports by the National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee. Issues around recruitment shortfalls and retention have involved exchanges with bodies such as the Armed Forces Pay Review Body and media coverage in outlets including The Daily Telegraph and BBC News. Welfare cases and handling of service complaints have drawn attention from organisations like the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces and veteran charities including Royal British Legion and SSAFA. Public perception is influenced by ceremonial visibility at events like Trooping the Colour and by partnership projects with civic institutions such as the Imperial War Museum.

Category:Commands of the British Army