# Chief of the United States Army Reserve

The chief of the United States Army Reserve (CAR) is the commanding officer of the United States Army Reserve, the reserve component of the United States Army. As the highest-ranking officer in the United States Army Reserve, the CAR is the principal advisor to the chief of staff of the Army on all matters relating to the Army Reserve, and is responsible for the personnel, operations and construction budgets of the Army Reserve, subject to the supervision and control of the secretary of the Army. Dual-hatted as Commanding General, United States Army Reserve Command, the CAR is also responsible to the Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command for the oversight of operationally-deployed Army Reserve forces.
By statute, the CAR is a member of the Army Staff, as well as one of five Army Reserve members of the Reserve Forces Policy Board. The CAR is also designated by statute as the executive agent for the Full Time Support Program, a personnel program under the Department of Defense. The Chief's headquarters is the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, housed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
The 34th chief of the Army Reserve is Lieutenant General Robert Harter.

## Appointment and rank

As an officer's appointment in the United States Armed Forces, the nominee requires confirmation by the United States Senate by majority vote. The chief of Army Reserve is nominated for appointment by the president of the United States with the advice and/or recommendation of the secretary of defense and secretary of the Army, as well as a determination from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the nominee has had significant joint duty experience.
Until 1968, the office of the chief of the Army Reserve was not set by statute due to concerns that institutionalizing a commander of Army reserve forces would separate it from the Regular Army, much like how the Militia Act of 1903 had rendered the early National Guard independent from the Regular Army. On 17 May 1968, Major General William J. Sutton was confirmed by the Senate in accordance with the passage of Pub. L. 90–168, thus making Sutton the first statutory Chief of Army Reserve.
The CAR's rank was initially that of major in 1923, and was successively raised to colonel in 1924, to brigadier general in 1933 (making Charles D. Herron the first CAR to hold general officer rank), and to major general in 1950. The CAR's rank, alongside those of reserve leaders of other service branches, was raised to lieutenant general in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2001, making Thomas J. Plewes, then chief of Army Reserve, the first to hold three-star rank. The statutory requirement for the CAR to hold the rank of lieutenant general was repealed in the 2017 NDAA, but the officeholder is still appointed to that rank.
The CAR serves for a four-year term, which can be renewed once for a total of eight years.

## List of officeholders

| No. | Chief | Chief | Term | Term | Term |
| No. | Portrait | Name | Took office | Left office | Term length |
| Chief of the Reserve Section, G-2 ||||||
| 1 | | Thompson, Charles F.Major Charles F. Thompson (1882–1954) | 12 June 1923 | 1 July 1923 | 19 days |
| 2 | | Boswell, Walter O.Major Walter O. Boswell (1877–1953) | 2 July 1923 | 31 July 1924 | 1 year, 29 days |
| Chief of the Reserve Branch, G-2 ||||||
| 3 | | Potts, DouglasColonel Douglas Potts (1878–1940) | 1 August 1924 | 30 December 1925 | 1 year, 151 days |
| 4 | | Pegram, John CargillLieutenant Colonel John C. Pegram (1881–1972) | 31 December 1925 | 14 August 1926 | 226 days |
| 5 | | Ryons, Frederick ButterfieldLieutenant Colonel Frederick B. Ryons (1877–1946) | 15 August 1926 | 30 September 1926 | 46 days |
| 6 | | Ford, Stanley HamerColonel Stanley H. Ford (1877–1961) | 1 October 1926 | 10 February 1927 | 132 days |
| Executive for Reserve Affairs ||||||
| 7 | | Stone, David Lamme Jr.Colonel David L. Stone Jr. (1876–1959) | 5 March 1927 | 30 June 1930 | 3 years, 117 days |
| 8 | | Herron, Charles DouglasBrigadier General Charles D. Herron (1877–1977) | 1 July 1930 | 30 June 1935 | 4 years, 364 days |
| 9 | | Hartshorn, Edwin Simpson Jr.Brigadier General Edwin S. Hartshorn Sr. (1874–1963) | 1 July 1935 | 15 September 1938 | 3 years, 76 days |
| 10 | | Thompson, Charles F.Brigadier General Charles F. Thompson (1882–1954) | 16 September 1938 | 9 June 1940 | 1 year, 267 days |
| 11 | | Hester, John HutchisonBrigadier General John H. Hester (1886–1976) | 21 June 1940 | 23 March 1941 | 275 days |
| Executive for Reserve and ROTC Affairs ||||||
| - | | Lowe, Frank E.Colonel Frank E. Lowe (1885–1968) Acting | 24 March 1941 | 4 June 1941 | 72 days |
| 12 | | Lowe, Frank EdwardBrigadier General Frank E. Lowe (1885–1968) | 5 June 1941 | 10 August 1942 | 1 year, 66 days |
| 13 | | Smith, Edward WhiteBrigadier General Edward W. Smith (1894–1966) | 16 September 1942 | 14 October 1945 | 3 years, 28 days |
| 14 | | Bres, Edward S.Brigadier General Edward S. Bres (1888–1967) | 15 October 1945 | 30 November 1947 | 2 years, 46 days |
| 15 | | Westover, WendellBrigadier General Wendell Westover (1895–1960) | 1 December 1947 | 14 November 1949 | 1 year, 348 days |
| 16 | | Cress, James BellMajor General James B. Cress (1889–1967) | 1 January 1950 | 31 January 1951 | 1 year, 30 days |
| 17 | | Milton, Hugh Meglone IIIMajor General Hugh M. Milton II (1897–1987) | 24 February 1951 | 18 November 1953 | 2 years, 267 days |
| 18 | | Lindeman, Philip Ferdinand Jr.Major General Philip F. Lindeman Jr. (1909–1988) | November 1953 | 6 December 1954 | 1 year, 17 days |
| Chief, Army Reserve and ROTC Affairs ||||||
| 18 | | Lindeman, Philip Ferdinand Jr.Major General Philip F. Lindeman Jr. (1909–1988) | 7 December 1954 | 31 July 1957 | 2 years, 236 days |
| 19 | | Palladino, Ralph A.Major General Ralph A. Palladino (1904–1981) | 1 August 1957 | 31 May 1959 | 1 year, 303 days |
| 20 | | Warren, Frederick M.Major General Frederick M. Warren (1903–1986) | 1 September 1959 | 12 February 1963 | 3 years, 164 days |
| Chief, Army Reserve ||||||
| 20 | | Warren, Frederick M.Major General Frederick M. Warren (1903–1986) | 13 February 1963 | 31 August 1963 | 199 days |
| 21 | | Sutton, William J.Major General William J. Sutton (1908–1972) | 1 September 1963 | 31 May 1971 | 7 years, 272 days |
| 22 | | Roberts, James Milnor Jr.Major General J. Milnor Roberts Jr. (1918–2009) | 1 June 1971 | 31 May 1975 | 3 years, 364 days |
| 23 | | Mohr, HenryMajor General Henry Mohr (1919–1997) | 1 June 1975 | 31 May 1979 | 3 years, 364 days |
| 24 | | Berkman, William R.Major General William R. Berkman (1929–2014) | 1 June 1979 | 31 July 1986 | 7 years, 60 days |
| - | | Mott, Harry James IIIBrigadier General Harry J. Mott III (1929–2023) Acting | 1 August 1986 | 30 November 1986 | 121 days |
| 25 | | Ward, William Francis Jr.Major General William F. Ward Jr. (1928–2018) | 1 December 1986 | 1 October 1990 | 3 years, 304 days |
| Chief, Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command ||||||
| 25 | | Ward, William Francis Jr.Major General William F. Ward Jr. (1928–2018) | 1 October 1990 | 31 July 1991 | 303 days |
| 26 | | Sandler, Roger WarrenMajor General Roger W. Sandler (born 1934) | 1 August 1991 | 31 January 1994 | 2 years, 183 days |
| 27 | | Baratz, MaxMajor General Max Baratz (born 1934) | 1 February 1994 | 24 May 1998 | 4 years, 112 days |
| 28 | | Plewes, Thomas JeffreyLieutenant General Thomas J. Plewes (born 1940) | 25 May 1998 | 24 May 2002 | 3 years, 364 days |
| 29 | | Helmly, James RonaldLieutenant General James R. Helmly (born 1947) | 25 May 2002 | 25 May 2006 | 4 years, 0 days |
| 30 | | Stultz, Jack C. Jr.Lieutenant General Jack C. Stultz Jr. (born 1952) | 25 May 2006 | 9 June 2012 | 6 years, 15 days |
| 31 | | Talley, Jeffrey W.Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Talley (born 1959) | 9 June 2012 | 1 June 2016 | 4 years, 22 days |
| - | | Smith, Michael R.Major General Michael R. Smith Acting | 1 June 2016 | 30 June 2016 | 29 days |
| 32 | | Luckey, Charles DanaLieutenant General Charles D. Luckey (born 1955) | 30 June 2016 | 2 July 2020 | 4 years, 2 days |
| - | | O'Guinn, Michael C.Major General Michael C. O'Guinn Acting | 3 July 2020 | 28 July 2020 | 25 days |
| 33 | | Daniels, Jody J.Lieutenant General Jody J. Daniels (born c. 1962) | 28 July 2020 | 30 July 2024 | 4 years, 2 days |
| - | | Kotulich, DeborahMajor General Deborah Kotulich (born 1968) Acting | 30 July 2024 | 1 August 2024 | 2 days |
| 34 | | Harter, RobertLieutenant General Robert Harter (born c. 1970) | 1 August 2024 | Incumbent | 204 days |