Are the 'Minute Men' Fast Enough? A Historical Look at Pre- and Post- Mobilization Training
Abstract
By January 1, 1991 over two hundred thousand Reserve and National Guard soldiers had been mobilized in support of Operation Desert Shield (and eventually Desert Storm) in the Persian Gulf War. Included in this mobilization were three National Guard combat brigades. The time between notification and deployment to combat of our reserve forces has varied a great deal throughout our country's history. There is a great deal of argument in government as well as in the Army itself as to the ability of combat, combat support, and combat service support reserve units to move rapidly from a peace time training status to commitment in combat. This study reviews the large scale reserve and national guard mobilizations from World War II to present. The study clarifies some of the variables which affect training time and focuses on the time between notification and actual commitment to combat. Because call ups in World War II, Korea, Berlin (1961), and Vietnam were extensive, the author has concentrated on Pacific bound units from each war. The Pacific is an area of special importance as the U.S. national interests begin to focus less on Europe and more on our major trading partners in the Pacific Rim. Each section or conflict is followed by a lesson learned summary and tied to the following conflict. The entire study is brought to a close with conclusions and recommendations for future training and employment of reserve components.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 15, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA236962
Entities
People
- Raymond E. Gandy Jr
Organizations
- United States Army War College