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Army Reserve Sustainable Readiness

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Provided by U.S. Army Reserve

What is it?

Sustainable Readiness is the U.S. Army’s balanced, requirements-based method of providing operational forces as well as operational and strategic depth, adapting the Army’s force generation concept to meet the needs of a globally responsive, regionally engaged force. Sustainable Readiness in the Army Reserve allows the component and command to articulate supply and demand risks in sourcing decisions while optimizing readiness.

What has the Army done?

The Army Reserve continues to meet enduring overseas contingency operations (OCO) and Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) requirements while building readiness for the operating environment described in the Army’s Operating Concept Win in a Complex World. Army Reserve planners are balancing capabilities across five years of force pools, in concert with Headquarters, Department of the Army, Army Forces Command and the Army National Guard, to ensure a steady supply of Army Reserve capabilities for Joint Force commanders.

What continued efforts are planned for the future?

Army Reserve forces will build readiness progressively over a five-year cycle (four preparation years and one available year). Based on demand and capacity, some capabilities may execute a modified cycle or continue to be non-rotational. The focus in the first two years of the readiness cycle is individual readiness and leader development. In years three and four, it transitions to collective training at appropriate levels and across the range of military operations. Forces will either be deployed or trained to sustain their readiness within the available (fifth) year.

Forces will be prepared to meet three broad requirements:

  • Early entry and set the theater – the capabilities required across various contingency plans within approximately the first 60 days.
  • Homeland DSCA.
  • Enduring OCO.

Why is this important to the Army?

Sustainable Readiness will ensure the many theater functions and capabilities needed to meet contingency plan timelines in the Army Reserve are available to the Army and Joint Force. Sustaining and preserving readiness while minimizing shortfalls is a key tenet of sustainable readiness. It will also instill a culture of individual readiness across the force, which is the foundation to build the collective readiness the Army needs to “win in a Complex World.”

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