A
regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official
armed forces) – contrasting with
irregular forces such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies,
mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually consists of:
- a standing army, the permanent force of the regular army that is maintained under arms during peacetime.
- a military reserve force that can be mobilized when needed to expand the effectives of the regular army by complementing the standing army.