As a week-long celebration of the UK’s service men and women, Armed Forces Week is a national campaign to build public understanding and support for all aspects of the military – including regulars, veterans, cadets and military families.
Today (24th June 2026) is Reserves Day – recognising those who give up their spare time to serve in the Reserve Forces, whilst balancing civilian life with the skills they will need should their country ever require them.
As those familiar with Arcanum may know, over 80% of our staff is comprised of ex-military personnel. What fewer know is that 10% of our workforce continue to play a role in UK Defence as part of the Reserve Forces.
This Reserves Day, we caught up with Cullum Morgan Welch, Arcanum Bid Manager and active member of the Army Reserves to find out more about his career journey, twin roles and ability to dig deep trenches!
Cullum, can you tell us about your career in the Armed Forces and what you do now as a reservist?
I’ve served for over 10 years in the British Army, deploying to Afghanistan, Bosnia, the Falklands Islands, Belize, and Kenya. As an infantry officer my role was to plan, organise and lead riflemen providing security to British people and interests across the world.
It feels a world away to come from joining the Army as a 21 year old, leading 30 people on patrols through the South American jungle or chasing Russian spy ships away from islands in the Antarctic to now working in a cyber security consultancy from my front room. It’s been a great journey with many more steps to take.
What motivated you to continue your service as a reservist while pursuing a civilian career?
As I was leaving the Regular Army last year, I had no idea where I would land as a civilian, and joining the Army Reserve has helped me to develop a new local friendship group and keep a sense of purpose while I’m settling into my civilian life. Arcanum, as an Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award holder, has been really supportive with additional leave and other benefits, and it’s certainly helped to have two paycheques each month!
How does reserve service help your civilian career?
Being a reservist brings a load of extra skills, experience and opportunities to my civilian career. I’ve developed my interpersonal skills in leadership, organisation and communication through the Army’s career courses, while the experiences I’ve had have also built my individual skills in resilience through uncertainty and adverse conditions, self-confidence and analytical thinking.
Likewise, the ability to work with people from all walks of life and varied specialisms, as well as routinely traveling to work with foreign partners has hugely broadened my life experience and perspective, which I can bring into my civilian career to help with business development. The Army has made me a more skilled and reliable employee.
What do you think your reserve service offers your employer?
Well, I can certainly dig a six-foot trench in driving rain faster than your average employee!
What does Armed Forces Week mean to you?
Having spent over a decade in military service and now continuing to serve part time as a reservist, my fellow service members and I have chosen a life where we routinely sacrifice time with our families to provide the defence and security of our nation. While this is our choice, Armed Forces Week is a great period to reflect on the positives that this service brings to us individually, to our employers and to our communities.
At Arcanum, Our highly experienced team includes many professionals from ex-military or government-service backgrounds, some of whom retain high-level security clearances. As a business, we work closely with the Ministry of Defence and are one of just four cyber consultancies selected by IASME to pilot the new Defence Cyber Certification scheme – designed to build resilience within the UK Defence supply chain.
If your organisation is based in the private, public or third sector and is looking to prioritise cyber security, get in touch.