The Army Reserve's Future: Part of the Operational Force
Abstract
War has changed drastically in the last decade, causing the U.S. Army's Reserve Component (RC) to mobilize on a regular basis. The Army Reserve is one component of the Total Army which also consists of the Active Army and the Army National Guard (ARNG). While the National Guard can perform both federal and state missions, the Army Reserve is a federal force only. Over the last decade, the Army increased its reliance on reserve forces for contingency operations. This paper addresses the Army Reserve's transition to an operational force and proposes two missions ideally suited for an operational reserve: Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) and Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA). In addition, the paper makes four recommendations for transitioning the AR to be part of an operational force. These include working to change Title 10 to authorize the AR to perform DSCA missions, legislative changes to allow the President, DoD, and Army senior leaders quick access to AR personnel and assets during national emergencies, funding the AR in DoD's base budget and adding TSC and DSCA staff sections to the United States Army Reserve Command (USARC) Deputy Commanding General for Operations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 24, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA553142
Entities
People
- Thomas J. Vaccaro
Organizations
- United States Army War College