Military history is full of examples where tactical reserves are allocated to deal with unforeseen developments. There is a discussion regarding the value of reserves between representatives of different military theoretical orientations, where maneuver theorists look more favorably on reserves than attritional warfare theorists. The Swedish army tactical manual is based on maneuver theory, but previous studies show that Swedish army tacticians rarely allocate reserves. This study combines a survey experiment and a questionnaire to test if Weissmann and Ahlström's model for tactical thinking can explain the limited use of reserves within the Swedish army. The results indicate that this is not the case, but that the answers are more likely to be found in how Swedish army officers fundamentally relate to uncertainty and the nature of combat.