by Eric Munn

ROYAL Navy reservist Philip Russ has received the call up telling him to report to base in Portsmouth next Friday.

The father-of-two admits he's apprehensive, but he is well-prepared after two decades in the reservist force.

Philip is director of Wirral's Lairdside maritime centre and ordinarily is involved with training merchant marines in ship handling - but the call to arms came as no shock because he's been a reservist for the last 20 years.

He said: "I got the papers last week. They said I was being mobilised and had to report to Portsmouth.

"I've been doing this now for 20 years and I'm quite comfortable with it. I was apprehensive but it would be unnatural not to be."

This is the fist time that Phillip, aged 41, has been called up.

"In 1999, I did 12 months full-time service. It was probably because of that experience that I've been called up now."

The maritime work that Phillip does on a day-to-day basis is unrelated to the job he will be doing for the navy.

While he is mobilised it will be left to his colleagues to run Lairdside Maritime Centre.

He said:"I could be mobilised for anything up to 12 months but they understand that it is a job that has to be done."

"People I work with are very supportive and are dividing my workload between themselves."

The hardest part of moving away will be leaving behind his family.

"I'm married with two children aged seven and four. They understand that I'm going to be away for a long time but they don't really understand why.

"The hardest part of being a reservist is being away from the kids. Ordinary soldiers are more used to it because it is part of their day to day job.

"My wife Karen is apprehensive, but she has probably got the more difficult job!"