TESTIMONY SUBMITTED BY

LIEUTENANT GENERAL JACK STULTZ

CHIEF, UNITED STATES ARMY RESERVE

TO

THE COMMISSION ON

NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVES

July 19, 2006

**An Evolving Security Environment**

Today's geopolitical environment requires our expeditionary Army to
remain ready to support operations in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)
and protect and support the homeland simultaneously. The Army,
therefore, needs to leverage the capabilities of all its components, and
the unique capabilities each of them bring to our Army, to remain ready
for an uncertain future. The Army Reserve's unique status as the Federal
Reserve make it both an operational force to support our expeditionary
Active Army and an operational reserve which, along with state-based
National Guard forces, support natural disaster operations or conduct
homeland security missions.

Although we must remain prepared to act against traditional, state-based
threats, the enemy that currently threatens our way of life does not
adhere to national borders. It is comprised of terrorist groups and
extremists who blend into society while utilizing the forces of
globalization to exploit our freedoms and liberties. Today's units must
be prepared and available to deploy with their full complement of
trained Soldiers and equipment whenever the Nation calls. This
transformation will progress as the Army Reserve continues to meet the
ongoing operational challenges of GWOT, while simultaneously supporting
missions at home and around the globe.

**Roles and Missions**

The Army Reserve is a community-based federal operational force of
skill-rich Warrior-Citizens providing complementary capabilities for
joint expeditionary and domestic operations. Nearly 100 percent of the
Army Reserve's units have provided over 157,000 Soldiers to support
combat operations, stability operations, and conduct training for Iraqi
and Afghan Security Forces since 9/11. Over 22,000 of these Soldiers
have volunteered and deployed on more than one tour of duty. In
addition, the Army Reserve accelerated the deployment of a CH-47
Company, comprised of 16 aircraft and over 100 Army Reserve Soldiers to
Pakistan in support of earthquake relief efforts.

The Army Reserve is streamlining and modernizing to support the modular
force and our coalition led war on terror. As a result of a directive
from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Army announced
the transfer of the US Army Civil Affairs (CA) and Psychological
Operations (PSYOP) Command from the U.S. Army Special Operations Command
to the US Army Reserve Command to better integrate Civil Affairs and
PSYOP units into conventional operations. This transfer-of-authority is
a statutory recognition of the unique, complementary capabilities that
the Army Reserve provides Combatant Commanders and the joint force as a
whole.

**Homeland Defense**

Defending the homeland is a top priority for the Army Reserve. In 2005
the Army Reserve contributed two truck companies and five CH-47
helicopters with crews to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and ten
CH-47s with crews to the Hurricane Rita relief efforts. The Aviators
transported more than 2,100 people, and more than 5,200 tons of cargo.
We also provided two Military History Detachments to document the Joint
Task Force operations. We are currently pre-positioning equipment,
across state boundaries, to alleviate shortages in National Guard
capabilities and equipment, in eight Gulf Coast and Southeastern states,
for the 2006 hurricane season. The Army Reserve's ability to position
capabilities, without regard to state borders, and provide
neighborhood-based support directly to our communities, states, and
federal agencies ensures our commitment to our homeland endures, even as
we continue to support operations throughout the world.

While we have done much to capitalize on our capabilities to respond to
disasters at home, the Commission should explore an Amendment to Title
10 USC to allow Selected Reserve (SELRES) and certain Individual Ready
and Reserve (IRR) Soldiers to be mobilized whenever the Nation requires
their services. Legislative authority that empowers the use of Reserve
Component capabilities creates additional depth, when responding to
state, national and international crises.

**Personnel and Compensation**

As we change the way we prepare to fight in the 21^st^ century, so too
must

our system of personnel management evolve to support our Soldiers and
their families. Army Reserve Soldiers have played a valuable and
sustained role since the beginning of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi
Freedom and Noble Eagle.

As the Army Reserve continues to evolve into an operational force with
its Soldiers called to active duty in support of ongoing operations, it
is vital that Soldiers be compensated in the same manner, and receive
the same benefits, as their Active Duty counterparts.

With the ongoing Global War on Terrorism and a healthy economy, benefits
and compensation must increase as market realities demand in order for
the Army Reserve to maintain its end-strength. The Army Reserve has been
proactive in ensuring that we optimize the use of precious incentive
dollars and benefits funds by carefully managing these programs to
ensure that they are targeting the most appropriate groups of Soldiers.

One example of the Army Reserve's efforts with regard to matters of
personnel is the restructuring of enlisted promotions. Senior Non
Commissioned Officer (NCO) boards and order of merit listings will be
part of the overhaul as the process becomes more equitable to all
Soldiers through standardization. Board dates and promotion packet
requirements (including submission suspense dates) will be the same
throughout the Army Reserve. This will result in a positive impact on
readiness and retention.

As we are transforming to better serve our Nation during this time of
war, we are asking much of our Warrior-Citizens. Accordingly, it is only
fair that we make the effort to demonstrate to our Soldiers and their
families that we appreciate their dedication and sacrifices. One way to
show our appreciation and retain the skills and expertise of our senior
leaders is to provide a formula of incentives designed to reward
Soldiers for continuing their service beyond 20 years. The benefits of
keeping our most experienced leaders -- many with recent combat
experience \-- in the Army Reserve are obvious.

[]{.mark}

**Mobilization and Demobilization**

The mobilization process has improved markedly since September 11^th^,
2001 with more than 157,000 Army Reserve Soldiers mobilized in support
of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. In order to
meet the Combatant Commander readiness requirements that mobilizing
units deploy at 100 percent strength, the Army Reserve has cross-leveled
large numbers of Soldiers from non-mobilizing units into those units
projected for mobilization.

As a result of Department of Defense led efforts, the Army Reserve has
made significant improvements in the following areas: more advance
notification of mobilizations; pre-sourcing mobilization requirements;
the fielding of the Department of the Army Mobilization Process System
(DAMPS); phased mobilization planning; family readiness; mobilization
for training; and improved education and understanding of Army Reserve
mobilization issues throughout the Army.

While progress has been made in the Army Reserve's mobilization process,
the following overarching areas require dedicated effort and resourcing
to bring about needed change:

-   Natural Disasters or Emergencies - Authorization for the Selected
    Reserve and certain Individual Ready Reserve members to be ordered
    to active duty in response to natural disasters or emergencies that
    require immediate response other than during war.

-   365 Day Order to Active Duty -- Amend Senate Appropriations
    Committee bill to allow Soldiers to be involuntary called/ordered to
    active duty, not to exceed 365 days vice 270 days.

**Readiness, Training, and Equipping**

As an operational and expeditionary reserve force, the Army Reserve no
longer has the luxury of extended time periods for training after
mobilization; thus we now employ a "train-alert-deploy" model. This
shift has required a fundamental revision of our training strategy in
order to prioritize scarce training resources. The Army Reserve Training
Strategy (ARTS) was designed to support the train, alert, deploy model
and the progressive training cycles of the Army Force Generation
(ARFORGEN) model.

While more than 157,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have courageously
fulfilled their obligations and duties to their country since September
11^th^ 2001 and over 22,000 of them have deployed more than once. There
are, however, thousands of Army Reserve Soldiers that fail to show up
for training or do not participate satisfactorily in required duties.
Title 38 USC Section 5303(a) should be amended to cancel Veterans
benefits for those Reserve Component Soldiers who fail to report for
mobilization or who fail to participate satisfactorily in training.

A Soldier's failure to report for training detracts from unit readiness
and weakens the ranks of the Army Reserve.

To better prepare Soldiers for war, the Army Reserve has developed a new
strategy to make the most effective and efficient use of its equipment.
The strategy includes maintaining equipment at four main areas: home
station, strategic deployment sites, individual training sites and
collective training sites. The new strategy supports the Army Force
Generation (ARFORGEN) model. It ensures the best available equipment is
provided to Army Reserve Soldiers when and where it is needed.

Individual equipment, such as weapons and masks, will continue to be
maintained at unit's home stations. However, a smaller amount of units
major end items, such as trucks or forklifts will remain on hand; enough
to allow for effective training and support homeland defense
requirements.

In the new model, units will travel to equipment located at training
sites, rather than moving equipment to the units. Creating centrally
located equipment pools to support directed and focused training will
enable the Army Reserve to harvest efficiencies in resourcing and
maintaining its equipment.

As is the case with the Active Component, the Army Reserve continues to
lose equipment through battle losses, operational attrition, expenditure
of service life and the retention of equipment in theater. These losses
have not been replaced and although currently programmed funding will
provide replacements, it is still insufficient to reach 100 percent of
our MTOE requirements. This puts at risk the ability of the Army Reserve
to implement and sustain ARFORGEN as a rotational readiness and force
generation process.

The Army has moved toward a new concept in determining priority of
resourcing, the Army Resource Priority List (ARPL). There continues to
be an issue with the segregation of Reserve Component requirements from
that of the Active Component. Active Component units in the ARFORGEN
process rank higher in priority than the Reserve Component units at the
same point and gates in the model. This places Reserve Component units
in a position of being behind the "power curve" while preparing for
mobilization and deployment.

**Funding Analysis**

The Nation is struggling to control the deficit and pay the federal
entitlement growth in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Defense
transformation is competing for resources with operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Recent major hurricane related natural disasters have
emerged as fiscal imperatives. Homeland defense and homeland security
requirements will continue to mature and expand. The Cold War process of
weapon system acquisitions undercut defense buying power and the all
volunteer force personnel costs continue to escalate. By cyclically
managing our force readiness we pioneered a process that allows the Army
to fulfill its Title 10 responsibilities with greater predictability and
reduced cost.

We have streamlined our command and control structure and implemented
business process improvements. It is our expectation, however, that
\"harvested\" funds from the transformed command and control structure
be re-invested in Army Reserve readiness. Such savings might be
re-invested into shortfalls in the areas of Recruiting and Retention,
Foreign Army Training activities, Sustainment Training, Branch Officer
Leadership Course and the Chaplain Candidate Program.

**Conclusion**

The changed conditions of warfare have greatly affected our armed
services, especially the reserve components. We are now engaged in a
global war that will last an undetermined length of time. We are on an
asymmetrical rather than a linear battlefield. It is paramount that we
remain ready to support expeditionary operations while maintaining our
ability to support natural disasters or deliberate attacks on our
homeland. Those requirements place a premium on readiness,
responsiveness, and availability of all branches and components of our
military.

The Army Reserve is a federal force, ready to be called as needed. Our
Warrior-Citizens have performed magnificently in their prosecution of
the GWOT and we owe it to them to continue to transform the Army Reserve
into a more responsive, dynamic, learning organization.

Today, the deployment of the Army Reserve is no longer the exception;
rather, it is the rule. The Army Reserve's highly skilled individuals,
(surgeons, nurses, bankers, firemen, teachers, engineers, power grid
planners, police, intelligence professionals, truck drivers and more)
arrive for duty with current, state of the art knowledge and
technologies that are difficult to maintain in the Active Component.

The Army Reserve is a federal force that is always ready and available
to support our expeditionary Army and provide community-based support,
along with the National Guard. The battlefield of the 21^st^ century
will be defined not by large scale armies massing on one another's
borders, but those nations that are able to make the fullest use of
their capabilities. The Army Reserve remains an integral part of the
world's best Army and ready to provide trained and ready Soldiers and
ready units whenever our nation calls.