Army mulls future of National Guard, Reserve

Army mulls future of National Guard, Reserve
Declining demand, budget pressures are behind the review
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Monday May 23, 2011 8:03:02 EDT
Leaders of the National Guard and Army Reserve are looking to theater security cooperation missions as a way to keep their forces ready, even as demand for boots on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan declines after almost a decade of war.

The Reserve already is involved in these missions — working with partner nations; building schools and roads; providing medical and dental care, administering immunizations and giving lessons on diet and nutrition.

“This past year, I visited soldiers who’ve been to Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, El Salvador, Uganda, Kenya, doing these types of missions,” said Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, chief of the Reserve. “It’s very fulfilling for the soldier because they feel like they’re making a difference, but we’re usually there for three to four weeks, then we go home.”

In the future, when the demand in Iraq and Afghanistan diminishes, Stultz envisions more and longer missions like this.

“We have these units that are in the available year, why wouldn’t we let them go do something like that for a longer period of time?” he said. “Three months instead of three weeks, for example, and really make a huge impact and build relationships.”

The Reserve also could partner with Southern Command or Army South and assign available units to those commands to use for their missions or exercises, Stultz said.
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Army mulls future of National Guard, Reserve