Portsmouth MP Penny Mordaunt says the nation should be proud of its reserve forcesÂ
A CABINET minister has said the nation should be immensely proud of its growing military reserve forces.
Penny Mordaunt, Portsmouth North MP, said the part-time soldiers should be an inspiration to others.
International development secretary Ms Mordaunt, who is herself a reserve officer in the Royal Navy, said they played a critical role in supporting regulars
The former armed forces minister added: '˜Reserve forces do an amazing job, investment in them and the quality of training has been increased substantially.Â
'˜A career in the armed forces is hugely rewarding but also tough on many levels.
'˜I know what it is like to do it as a second job, which is one reason why I'm so proud of them.'
The government aims to boost the total number of military reservists to 30,000 come 2020.
Critics have raised concerns about whether this was achievable.
However, Ms Mordaunt said: '˜I'm confident we'll get there.'