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DoD looking at changing reserve, active mix

by Courtney Brooks

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 5, 2000) -- The Department of Defense is looking at changing the reserve- and active-component mix, according to its top civilian leader.

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld made that observation Nov. 4 to the Pentagon press corps amid questions of reports that Reserve and National Guard soldiers were being overtaxed with mobilization requirements since last year's terrorist attacks on this nation.

"There's no question but that there a number of things that the United States is asking its forces to do," Rumsfeld said. "And when one looks at what those things are, we find that some of the things that are necessary, in the course of executing those orders, are things that are found only in the Reserves."

Within the Army, the Selected Reserve elements of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve comprise 54 percent of the force, as of September, according to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs. These units provide essential combat, combat support, and combat service support to the Army. For example, by percentage of the Army, the Reserve provides the following capabilities: chemical brigades (100 percent), water supply battalions (100 percent), public affairs (82 percent), civil affairs (97 percent), medical brigades (85 percent), psychological operations units (81 percent), engineering battalions (70 percent), and military police battalions (66 percent).

Rumsfeld said that DoD is considering how it might migrate some active activities that are not always going to be needed into the Guard or the Reserve and vice-versa.

When asked about the opinion that the Total Force Concept is at risk due to repeatedly calling back reservists, Rumsfeld responded that you would still have a TFC with a certain amount of active soldiers and a certain amount in the National Guard and Reserve.

"But you'd have it better allocated between the two so there would be less stress on Guard and Reserve on a continuing basis, since we now ought to be smart enough to be better able to see what those things are," Rumsfeld continued.

Currently, 57, 721 men and women have been called up in the National Guard and Reserve, according to Department of Defense statistics.