ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

The lethality and complexity of today’s battle space present new challenges to the Army Reserve, where readiness levels have relied on a well-worn rotational schedule.

Instead, the Reserve must prepare for a full-spectrum operational environment that includes making ready significant portions of the Reserve force to move quickly, in some cases in days or weeks, so it can effectively complement active-component formations that rely on its capabilities.

Quickly growing the Army to meet urgent operational demands is possible only by placing a heavy burden on the Army National Guard and Army Reserve, according to a new report.

A RAND Corp. analysis of the Army’s options for rapidly regenerating says there are many challenges, including difficulty recruiting if the civilian job market is strong, public support that might be limited depending on the given conflict, and the Army’s requirement to continue operating while it’s expanding.

Feb. 9, 2017

As the Army has ramped up operational use of its National Guard and Reserve units amid ongoing counterinsurgency operations, budget constraints and end strength cuts, training has become more critical than ever for all components, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Daniel B. Allyn told a Senate Armed Services subcommittee.

“To build sufficient operational and strategic depth, the Army continues to explore ways to build increased readiness” in the Guard and Reserve, Allyn said during a Feb. 8 hearing of the readiness and management support panel.

The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law Friday by President Barack Obama. The bill brings an end to the Army’s troop drawdown and provides soldiers with the first pay raise in five years that matches the average private sector increase.

The U.S. Army Reserve is shifting planning and training priorities from fairly predictable, security-related deployments to short-notice, “full-spectrum” warfighting contingencies, said Lt. Gen. Charles D. Luckey, chief of the Army Reserve and commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve Command.

“We’re focusing primarily on making sure we are building a capability of combat readiness and lethality” to enable the Army Reserve “to be a full-up player for the force,” Luckey said Dec. 12 during a breakfast meeting of the Defense Writers Group in Washington, D.C.

The Association of the U.S. Army has signed a statement of support for employment rights of National Guard and Reserve soldiers and in doing so challenged its chapters as well as corporate and sustaining members to also sign statements supporting reserve components.

Retired Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, AUSA president and CEO, signed the document on behalf of the association in a brief ceremony with Paul E. Mock, who heads the Defense Department’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) program. The ceremony held was held in AUSA’s Conference and Event Center in Arlington, Va.