The Need to Ensure Training Readiness in the Total Force
Abstract
The last time the draft provided augmentation to the active force was in 1973. Since then, the active force has become increasingly dependent upon the reserve components for augmentation. The evolution to a fully-integrated reserve component has been painful at times. From the Spanish-American War though the war in Vietnam, the United States relied partly on the draft to generate manpower for the forces that would go to war. After Vietnam, the U.S. adopted an all-volunteer force. The Total Force Policy relied on the reserve components to provide additional capability to the active forces for national emergencies. After the Persian Gulf War, the military had to make significant changes to laws and policies to ensure successful integration of the reserves for future conflicts, including the current war in Afghanistan. Chapter 1 traces the roots of current policies affecting the reserve components developed from the Spanish-American War through the ending of the draft and the war in Vietnam. Chapter 2 reviews the post-draft era and describes the further evolution of policies and legislation affecting the reserve components through the Persian Gulf War. Chapter 3 explains the importance of sustaining training readiness of the reserves both for the current conflicts and in the future. Chapter 4 concludes with recommendations for all Services to maintain training readiness in the reserve components for future conflicts. The paper argues that the individual Services must systematically test the reserve component forces to ensure training readiness for the Total Force. Testing training readiness during peacetime will ensure the Services have matched mission with capabilities and that forces trained are the right size for the training time that is available. The testing of the reserve components will ensure combat-ready reserve component forces, thus ensuring readiness for the Total Force.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 31, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA562303
Entities
People
- Rex Hall
Organizations
- National Defense University