Monday, June 27, 2016
What is it?
The U.S. Army Reserve’s (USAR) Regionally Aligned Forces (RAF) provide the Army with depth and versatility through agile, responsive, and effective capabilities, providing the combatant commander (CCDR) with tailorable assets to shape the environment and quickly respond to a full range of requirements.
Army Reserve Engagement Cells (ARECs) located at Army Service Component Commands (ASCCs), and smaller Army Reserve Engagement Teams (ARETs) at the Corps and Combatant Commands (CCMD), are critical enablers developed to assist the CCMDs/ASCCs in understanding USAR capabilities, while maximizing Citizen Soldiers’ planning and resourcing horizons. These cells and teams also allow the face-to-face interaction necessary to build long term trust and effectiveness.
What has the Army Reserve done?
The Army Reserve established engagement cells at ASCCs and engagement teams at both Army Corps-level commands and geographic combatant commands to facilitate access to RAF. Army Reserve’s enabling capabilities are nested within the ASCCs and CCMDs, and responsive to all requirements through the engagement cells and engagement teams.
Army Reserve engagement cells and engagement teams assist the Army by engaging regionally to ensure interoperability, building relationships based on common interests, enhancing situational awareness, assuring partners, and deterring adversaries by providing robust and continuous support to multiple exercises in every CCDR’s area of operation.
What does the Army Reserve have planned for the future?
Army Reserve is an integral part of the Army’s Associated Units Pilot Program to improve the readiness and responsiveness of the Army as a total force. Regionally-aligned units continually conduct operational missions, bilateral and multilateral exercises, as well as theater security cooperation activities around the world.
USAR participates in overseas exercises, such as U.S. Army Europe’s Anakonda, which integrates multi-national forces and supports deterrence through demonstrations of allied defense capabilities to deploy, mass and sustain combat power.
Why is this important to the Army?
The RAF concept is part of the Army’s solution to meet CCDR requirements. Army and Joint forces rely on USAR to provide ready access to critical theater opening and prolonged sustainment capabilities to meet U.S. defense requirements across the range of military operations. USAR provides significant portions of enabling capabilities and subject matter expertise/experience to Army forces. Currently, over 46,000 trained, ready, and responsive Reserve Soldiers support the Army’s commitment to worldwide support to CCDRs. RAF fosters enduring relationships between Reserve planners and the Active Army; preparing and providing skilled Soldiers capable of executing worldwide missions as part of the Joint Force, maximizes the Army Reserve’s unique global command capabilities and value to the nation.
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