How training changes the cost of a reservist

How many reservists can a force afford for the cost of one active-service member?

The ratio depends on the training time and readiness required; a frequently exercised reservist costs more and is better prepared than someone receiving only an annual refresher.

There is no single cost ratio between reservists and regular personnel without specifying the readiness expected. Training frequency determines both expenditure and how much preparation a reservist needs before deployment. A Soviet land-force example distinguishes people maintaining military fitness and training weekly from those attending monthly or annual refreshers. The recollection also places military-age men in the broadest reserve category during much of the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. These are different levels of readiness, so their personnel totals cannot be treated as interchangeable.