That policy called for the United States to maintain an active duty force capable of maintaining peace and stopping aggression. The effect of an all-volunteer active Army and the Total Force Policy was a shift of some responsibilities and resources to the Army Reserve. Both unit and individual Army Reserve manpower declined from 1973 to 1978. Readiness improved during the 1980s when more emphasis was placed on training, recruiting and retention. In 1983, volunteers from Army Reserve civil affairs units deployed to Grenada in support of Operation Urgent Fury to help rebuild that island nation's infrastructure.
Children watch as soldiers ensure the village's well water is drinkable.
Army Reserve soldiers are often the last to leave as they help rebuild the infrastructure of worn-torn or devastated areas. Six years later, Army Reserve provisional military police and civil affairs units, composed of volunteers, helped restore order and services in Panama during Operation Just Cause. Each deployment was significant in that the active Army simply could not provide enough qualified personnel for those specific tasks, given its other responsibilities. The use of Army Reserve volunteers was necessary because no presidential call-up authority existed. More than 84,000 Army Reserve soldiers provided combat support and combat service support to the Total Force in Southwest Asia and site support elsewhere around the world and at locations across America.