John McAuley Palmer and the Reserve Components
Abstract
Americans have long believed that the part-time citizen-soldier is the best defender of a free society. They have traditionally seen a standing army as expensive, undemocratic, poorly motivated, and potentially dangerous to the nation that pays it. Only a minority have argued that the training and command of citizen-soldiers should be entrusted to professional officers as the people best equipped to conduct our defense. The controversy over the merits of a citizen soldiery as opposed to a professional one was particularly strong at the beginning of this century, when the United States began to develop the institutions of a great power. One of the most influential participants in this debate was John McAuley Palmer (1870-1955). In sharp contrast to many other professional soldiers, Palmer believed strongly in the value of reserve component forces organized, trained, and led by reserve component officers. This unusual belief enabled Palmer to strongly influence the evolution of a compromise force structure that would include the Regular Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve. Whether by conscious design or not, our current force structure is in large measure a reflection of Palmer's ideas.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADA518289
Entities
People
- Jonathan M. House
Organizations
- United States Army War College