HISTORICAL
OVERVIEW
The mission of the RC of all services is to provide trained, well-equipped units and individuals for active duty in time of war, national emergency, or at such times as the national security requires. The Army National Guard (ARNG) and the United States Army Reserve (USAR) constitute the RC of the Total Force of the United States Army. RC units and individuals were available on short notice to support the initial mobilization and deployment for Operation DESERT SHIELD. On 5 August 1990, the manifestation of this short-notice availability and readiness to serve was embodied in the adaptability of the 1185th Transportation Terminal Unit (TTU), a USAR unit, changing its annual training (AT) site and mission to the Port of Savannah to load the 24th Infantry Division's equipment for deployment to Saudi Arabia. Subsequent to its AT, the 1185th was mobilized and served on active duty until 23 July 1991. Other RC TTUs, as well, provided invaluable services at ports throughout the world. Additionally, over 10,000 reservists volunteered for active duty in the first several days of Operation DESERT SHIELD. Approximately 5,000 of those RC volunteers were called to active duty because they possessed needed military occupational specialties (MOSs).
On 22 August 1990, pursuant to Title 10, U.S.C. 673b, the President of the United States authorized the Secretary of Defense to order units and individuals of the Selected Reserve to active duty. Title 10, U.S.C. 673b gives the President authority to order members of the Selected Reserve to active duty other than during war or national emergency. This includes the ARNG and the USAR.
The first RC units deployed to Saudi Arabia on 7 September 1990. By the end of September 1990, the Army activated approximately 22,500 RC personnel; 17,075 of these were involuntarily mobilized, while the remainder came from RC volunteers. On 14 November 1990, the number of involuntarily mobilized soldiers increased to 22,212. Although Army combat forces were not included in the initial call-up, in mid-November 1990, the Pentagon announced the call-up of another 26,625 reservists, approximately 13,000 from combat units. The number of these RC soldiers that were mobilized by the end of November 1990 was 19,807; the remainder were mobilized by mid-December 1991. In fact, the Army activated five ARNG combat brigades and one Special Forces group. Three of these brigades were maneuver and two were field artillery.
The 48th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Georgia Army National Guard, received the alert notification on 15 November 1990, and entered federal active duty on 30 November 1990. It mobilized at Fort Stewart, trained and was validated at the National Training Center (NTC). The 155th Armor Brigade, Mississippi Army National Guard, received the alert notification on 15 November 1990, and entered federal active duty on 7 December 1990. It mobilized at Camp Shelby, trained at Fort Hood, and completed a brigade rotation at the NTC. The 256th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Louisiana Army National Guard, received the alert notification on 15 November 1991,and entered federal active duty on 30 November 1990. It mobilized at Fort Polk, trained at Fort Hood, and was demobilized prior to an NTC rotation.
The 142d Field Artillery Brigade, Arkansas Army National Guard, with a battalion from Oklahoma, received the alert notification on 15 November 1990, and entered federal active duty on 21 November 1990. The 142d mobilized, trained, and was validated at Fort Sill. The Brigade deployed to Saudi Arabia on 15 January 1991, was attached to the VII Corps, supported the 1st Infantry Division during breaching operations, and supported the 1st United Kingdom Armoured Division during the ground campaign.
The 196th Field Artillery Brigade, Tennessee Army National Guard, organized with battalions from Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, received the alert notification on 3 December 1990, and entered federal active duty on 9 December 1990. The 196th mobilized, trained, and was validated at Fort Campbell. The Brigade deployed to Saudi Arabia on 17 January 1991, was attached to the XVIII Airborne Corps, supported the 6th French Light Armored Division during breaching operations, and the 24th Mechanized Infantry during the ground campaign.
The 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Alabama Army National Guard, organized with battalions from Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida received the alert notification on 1 February 1991, and entered federal active duty on 20 February 1991. The 20th mobilized, trained, and was validated at Fort Bragg, NC. Elements of the 20th deployed for Operation PROVIDE COMFORT. The 20th is the first-ever RC Special Forces Group to be mobilized.
By 16 January 1991, the day before Operation DESERT STORM commenced, approximately one out of every four United States military personnel in the Southwest Asian desert were members of the RC. That ratio prevailed throughout the campaign. When the ground campaign started, there were approximately 73,000 Army RC soldiers in Southwest Asia (SWA).
On 18 January 1991, the day after Operation DESERT STORM began, President Bush signed Executive Order 12743 authorizing the call-up of personnel and units of the Ready Reserve for a period not to exceed 24 months. The Secretary of Defense, exercising his discretionary prerogative, prescribed the period of service for those mobilized RC soldiers as not to exceed 12 months.
Approximately 13,000 RT- 12s were among the reservists activated under the authority of this Executive Order. RT- 12s are a category of soldiers within the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), who have been released, not discharged, from active duty or active participation in an RC unit within the last 12 months, and are transferred into the IRR. The term "RT-12" means "recently trained within the last 12 months." Many RT- 12s processed for preparation of replacements for oversea movement (POR) after inprocessing and refresher training at a mobilization station, and then transferred to units in SWA as filler personnel.
In total, 138,343 RC soldiers mobilized for Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. Of this number, 73,431 RC soldiers deployed to SWA.
Mobilization station personnel conducted administrative inprocessing, determined suitability for service, and conducted refresher training for RC personnel. Soldiers received Common Task Training(CTT), weapons training, briefings on Iraqi capabilities, and MOS training. RC soldiers mobilized either as members of units or as individuals, from both the Selected Reserve and the Ready Reserve. Most units had 72 hours from call-up date to report to their mobilization station, and all units arrived within the allotted period of time as established in coordination with the unit, the mobilization station, and the respective CONUSA.
RC soldiers performed a major role in the training base expansion required for the training of IRR and other mobilized RC personnel. Portions of eight USAR Training Divisions, two separate Training Brigades, two separate Training Battalions, eight United States Army Reserve Forces (USARF) Schools, and the Sixth Army Area Intelligence School mobilized to augment the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).
The continuous availability of a trained, ready to mobilize, reserve force confirms the value of the RC as part of the Total Force concept. This availability is evinced in the uninterrupted lineage and service of four units of militia created by an order of the General Court of Boston on 13 December 1636. These units are the 101st Field Artillery, the 101st Engineers, the 181st Infantry, and the 182d Infantry - all present-day battalions in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Today, the RC contains 51 percent of the Army's force structure; 54 percent of the combat units; 58 percent of the combat support units; and 70 percent of the combat service support units. The total force is 49 percent Active Component (AC), 30 percent ARNG, and 21 percent USAR.Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM validated the need for the RC within the United States Army.
| "Many
thousands of members of the National Guard and other Ready Reserve components
of the U.S. Armed Forces have been called to active duty for Operation DESERT
STORM. The service of the Guard and Reserve soldiers, sailors, airmen, and
Marines will be crucial to the American victory over Iraqi aggression." Honorable
Dick Cheney |
Table
of Contents
Preface
Chapter
1 - Premobilization Phase Topics and Lessons
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NEWSLETTER
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