Reserve Component Joint Officer Qualification Requirements: A Reassessment
Abstract
The Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 (GNA) requires active component (AC) military officers to achieve joint qualification prior to promotion to general or flag officer rank. The statute does not extend this requirement to the reserve components (RC). Instead, the GNA requires the Secretary of Defense to establish personnel policies emphasizing joint education and experience for RC officers. These policies are to be as similar as practicable to those established for AC officers by Congress. Two decades after passage of the GNA, the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves (CNGR) recommended that Congress require RC officers to achieve joint qualification prior to nomination for general or flag officer rank. While neither the Secretary of Defense nor the U.S. Congress have acted on this recommendation, the concept continues to garner attention among RC leaders. Before seeking statutory change, DoD should confirm and quantify requirements for RC officers with joint education and experience. Establishing new requirements incrementally, through policy rather than legislation, could enhance the joint experience and education of RC officers while mitigating risk. It would also provide additional time to measure the effects on the RC officer corps.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 02, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA561547
Entities
People
- Robert Langol
Organizations
- United States Army War College