Tuesday, April 19, 2016
The U.S. Army Reserve was founded April 23, 1908, when the United States Congress authorized the Army to establish a Medical Reserve Corps, the official predecessor of the Army Reserve, to provide for a ready pool of medical professionals in the event of an emergency.
The Army Reserve has provided trained and ready Soldiers and units for World Wars I and II, Vietnam, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait.
Consistently engaged since September 11, 2001, more than 310,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have mobilized and deployed in support of the Total Army and Joint Force during contingency operations, natural disaster response efforts, and as part of on-going global Theater Security Cooperation missions.
The Army Reserve will continue to provide the Army with depth and versatility through agile, responsive, and effective forces in support of combatant commanders. The Army Reserve Engagement Cells and Teams are assisting the Army through regional engagement, ensuring interoperability, building relationships, enhancing situational awareness, assuring partners, and deterring adversaries through robust and continued support to multiple exercises in every combatant commander’s area of operation.
As an integral and essential element of the Army and the joint force, the Army Reserve provides critical combat support and combat service support capabilities. Nearly 16,000 Army Reserve Soldiers currently serve in direct support of Army service component commands and geographic combatant commands in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, and Horn of Africa, while thousands more are participating in overseas deployment training exercises.
Under the Defense Support of Civil Authorities, the Army Reserve provides vital capabilities to the lead federal agency in support of state and local authorities in times of natural and man-made disasters to save lives and mitigate damage.
As a contributor to the generating force, supporting joint, combined, and active component, the Army Reserve also provides professionally trained and ready drill sergeant units, instructors, and expertise for initial entry Soldiers, university cadets, and mobilization training requirements.
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