Losing or damaging military kit can come with real financial consequences, and yet many serving personnel and reservists aren’t entirely clear on what they’re responsible for, what belongs to the forces, and what’s theirs to keep. Your kit extends well beyond what you wear in service. You’ll have your own personal kit, a temporary kit that might be issued for a specific period, and an issued kit that makes up your core military uniform.
In this blog, we’ll break down what constitutes issued, temporary and personal kit in the military, so you know what you may need to bring to the barracks yourself, what you’ll be supplied with, and what you may occasionally be issued. It’s also worth nothing that units will have different rules as to what is issued and temporary.
In simple terms:
- Personal kit is yours
- Issued kit is yours to look after
- Temporary kit is yours to borrow
What is an issued kit in the military?
An issued kit in the British armed forces is the standard issue kit you receive when you become a member of military personnel.
This will include:
- Combat boots (initial issue)
- Respirator
- Rifle
- Uniforms
- Helmet
- Body armour
- Webbing or tactical vest
- Bergen & daysack
- Sleeping accessories (sleeping bag, roll mat, etc.)
- Water bottles
This kit is yours to use but remains the property of the army or applicable department of the forces. Over time, the list of items will likely be updated as you obtain more kit relevant to your role or deployment. Each piece you are given is logged and accounted for, so when you return them at the end of service or during a role transfer, it’s important that you can account for each item.
These items, whilst not yours in terms of ownership, remain your responsibility and loss or damage may result in you having to pay for replacements. That’s why many members of the Army, RAF or Navy secure military kit insurance to help keep costs down should any issues arise.
Issued kit is generally designed to work for everyone, but it’s not uncommon for adjustments to be made for added comfort or a better fit. For example, layouts may be adjusted, or items of personal kit might be combined with issued items for added practicality.
What is a temporary kit in the armed forces?
The temporary kit for military personnel consists of items that may be used for specific missions or have a short-term use. They are often expensive, tightly controlled items with strict procedures relating to their issue and return. In many cases, obtaining and returning the items are conducted under supervision.
Items categorised as temporary kit include:
- Night vision goggles
- Thermal imaging devices
- Specialist radios
- Cold weather/arctic gear
- Desert-specific clothing
- Vehicle-specific equipment
- Specialist or crew-served weapons (e.g. heavy machine guns, anti-tank systems)
These items are not yours; they remain the property of the armed forces, but when in your care, they are your responsibility. From acquiring to using, through to cleaning and returning, you will need to ensure you look after these items and follow the exact guidelines for use and guardianship.
Pieces of kit such as these are rigorously controlled, largely due to cost, operational sensitivity, and limited availability. Some of these items, such as night vision equipment, can cost several thousand pounds. With such limited stock and such high expense, any loss or damage has a direct impact on operations.
What is a personal kit when you are in the armed forces?
Personal kit means it’s yours. The items you may use day to day and will spend your money on. Even though it is all yours, there will still be certain expectations from senior personnel.
You’ll be expected to keep things clean and tidy and present certain items for inspection. Personal kit typically includes items like:
- Socks
- Extra boots
- Webbing
- Day Sacks
- Cooking kits (Jetboils)
- Boot cleaning kit
- Ironing kit
- Watch
Personal kit can be seen as an investment. Choosing to buy a more expensive pair of boots or better socks can go some way to reducing blisters and unnecessary discomfort when on parade, training or deployment. What might start as basic items soon becomes more about maximising comfort and giving yourself a little upgrade.
It’s also easy to underestimate just how much personal kit accumulates over a career. Medals, watches, boots, and clothing can all add up to significant expenses and a large collection. Taking stock of what you own is a habit worth developing early.
What are the kit responsibilities for reservists?
For reservists, kit responsibilities follow the same general principles as for full-time personnel, but the picture can be a little less clear-cut, particularly for those newer to service. When mobilised, reservists will typically be issued the same core kit as regular soldiers. When not mobilised, however, much of that issued kit may be handed back or stored, which creates its own set of accountability questions around condition and return.
Personal kit remains the reservist’s own throughout, and the same expectations around presentation and upkeep apply. It’s worth reservists taking particular care to understand what they’ve signed for at the point of issue, since the intervals between training weekends or deployments can make it easy to lose track. As with regulars, any loss or damage to issued or temporary kit can result in financial liability, making it worth considering whether your kit insurance policy covers both your mobilised and non-mobilised periods.
How personal, temporary and issued military kits combine
On a typical exercise, it would not be uncommon for a soldier, pilot or member of the Navy to combine all three kit types.
For one mission or deployment, you may have:
- Personal kit: Jetboils, Webbing, snacks,
- Issued kit: Uniform, body armour, Bergen
- Temporary kit: Radio, night vision, specialist tools
It all comes together in the same Bergen but has very distinct ownership and understanding the category your kit falls into is particularly important when it comes to managing repairs, losses and returns.
What happens if the military kit is lost or damaged?
If you were to lose or damage any of your military kit, you may be expected to replace it, pay for repairs or repair the items yourself. Much depends on the item and how the loss or damage occurred. Everyday wear and tear on low-value consumables, for example, is considered part of normal service life and is generally written off without any need to report or replace.
Accidental damage, for example, is looked at very differently from negligence.
The steps below show what you should do if you lose or damage significant non-expendable or high-value military kit:
- Report to leadership: All significant losses must be reported. Weapons or specialist items require a Report of Survey to establish the circumstances of loss or damage. Items lost or damaged through conflict are generally written off without penalty. If the loss or damage is through negligence, the individual is held responsible.
- Disciplinary consequences: If negligence is proven, financial penalties, disciplinary action or both may be applied. Financial penalties are governed by JSP 752 (the official tri-service MOD document governing expenses, compensation and allowances). Charges are deducted from wages, with a cap based on individual earnings.
It’s this combination of financial liability and the unpredictable nature of service life that leads many regulars and reservists to take out military kit insurance. Knowing that an accidental loss or damage won’t come directly out of your pay gives real peace of mind, whether you’re on exercise, deployment, or a training weekend.
At Trinity, we provide service personnel with comprehensive military insurance to help cover unexpected or surprise costs. From tailored military kit insurance to building and contents, we ensure that reservists, veterans, and serving military personnel can remain safe in the knowledge that kit, medals and more are all protected. If you’d like to speak to a member of the Trinity team about any of our insurance products request a call back today.