US Army Reserve Components: Restructuring to Meet the Needs of the 21st Century.
Abstract
The US military has been operating under the Total Force Policy concept since the end of the Vietnam War. Today, this policy is flawed-not in theory, but in how it is implemented, specifically with regards to the reserve components. The active components must rely on the Reserves both in peacetime and war, because the Reserves have over half of the Army force structure, and because of active component decreases in end strength. This has increased reserve component involvement in all military operations. The Reserves, however, are plagued by numerous problems due to politics and history that degrade readiness. This paper identifies several of these key problems and argues that changes are necessary and inevitable. It offers several revolutionary changes to make the Reserves more viable for the future. Although these changes may be viewed by some as politically unrealistic, the author suggests that not to change is even more unrealistic. The US military has been operating under the Total Force Policy concept since the end of the Vietnam War. Today, this policy is flawed-not in theory, but in how it is implemented, specifically with regards to the reserve components. The active components must rely on the Reserves both in peacetime and war, because the Reserves have over half of the Army force structure, and because of active component decreases in end strength. This has increased reserve component involvement in all military operations. The Reserves, however, are plagued by numerous problems due to politics and history that degrade readiness. This paper identifies several of these key problems and argues that changes are necessary and inevitable. It offers several revolutionary changes to make the Reserves more viable for the future.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA309109
Entities
People
- Gary T. Bublitz