< https://www.gmu.edu>

Center for Security Policy Studies < https://csps.gmu.edu>

The Role of US Reserve Forces

CSPS Fellow Joe Petrucelli discusses the role of the Reserves in the US military and strategies to resolve the current mismatch between resources and missions for the RC

Recent Posts

Follow us on Twitter

Tweets by @CSPS_GMU < https://twitter.com/CSPS_GMU>

Late in October, approximately 500 US troops of the 30 Armored Brigade Combat Team < https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-armored-

vehicles-infantry-troops-arrive-eastern-syria/story?id=66663099> (ABCT) entered eastern Syria to secure oil fields. This confusingly occurred just

after US forces announced a withdrawal from Syria. While the US policy in Syria is its own question, this episode also brought the role of the reserves

(briefly) into the spotlight < https://twitter.com/LorenRaeDeJ/status/1189893621937573888> . The 30 ABCT is a National Guard formation,

mobilized as the rotational ABCT in Kuwait and, thus, was the only armored force the Army had in theater (which by itself says something about the

role of the reserves). This event is indicative of a larger problem: the current use of reserve forces to substitute for day-to-day gaps in active capability

is not a logical force posture.

Maritime Security: The Cornerstone of the Quad’s

Strategic Focus

< https://csps.gmu.edu/2025/01/0 security-the-cornerstone-of-the-

quads-strategic-focus/>

MK Peace & Security Seminar

< https://csps.gmu.edu/2024/12/29

peace-security-seminar/>

th

th

The Reserve Component (RC) primarily consists < https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R44577.pdf> of 818,000 personnel split across the four reserve

forces and the two National Guard forces. Unlike the active-duty forces, reserve forces are not full-time, only “drilling” periodically (plus additional

non-drilling, inactive reservists). These forces traditionally served as the strategic reserve for military forces, supplementing active-duty forces when

mobilized but normally maintaining lower readiness levels.

The RC serves this role primarily because it is a much less expensive than comparable active duty units, being paid only about 62 days a year (about

15% of active duty pay) with lesser benefits. However, recently, the US has utilized the RC instead as an operational, not strategic, reserve,

supplementing active duty forces on a day-to-day basis. As a point of comparison, reserve support in the Cold War era averaged less than one

million days < https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1edd/685ab80143ed5fa9e724e6cde881d539a73e.pdf> of duty per year but by 2003 the RC was

providing 63 million days of duty per year. While this is largely a result of policy decisions and financial constraints associated with the “Global War on

Terror,” the role of the RC has not been seriously considered and its structure has not been realigned to reflect changes in its operational role.

Reservists are provided basic training opportunities and maintain the ability to mobilize in a relatively short time period. However, these forces suffer

from obvious readiness gaps, since they are part-time and their intermittent training opportunities prevents sustained unit-level readiness.

Additionally, a variety of administrative, statutory, and cultural factors make integration with active duty forces difficult, at best, further limiting their

readiness.

Given these limitations, how can the RC best integrate into the overall defense strategy? Wholesale structural changes to the RC are unlikely in the

near term. However, there are broad areas where the RC can effectively support defense priorities within the current structural constraints, by

providing capacity as a strategic reserve, providing capabilities not needed on a daily basis, and leveraging unique individual skills RC members

possess.

First, the RC should prioritize its role as a strategic reserve. Some number of reserve combat units should be maintained in lower readiness

conditions, as intended, able to spin up relatively quickly in the event of a major war and to reconstitute losses from a major conflict. This is the

traditional role of a reserve force, and backfilling active units engaged in the early stages of conflict is vital for long-term resiliency.

Second, the RC can maintain capabilities not required on a day-to-day basis. Units as varied as chemical weapons troops, logistics, riverine forces,

and civil affairs are not needed on day one of a conflict, but may be needed at some point. The RC can add value by focusing on those mission sets

where the time to mobilize a reserve unit is not a negative.

Lastly, the RC can focus on employing the individual skills its members possess, augmenting active units in a conflict, especially in areas where

existing day-to-day capacity may not be sufficient. Many prior service members have significant military experience and are well positioned to

augment staffs or supplement understrength active duty units. Additionally, many reservists have civilian careers in medical, logistics, and law

enforcement, skills that transfer into military roles with minimal retraining.

Our current use of the reserves results from a strategic mismatch between resources and missions that is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.

While fully shifting to an operational reserve model is a possible policy choice, a true operational reserve would come with increased costs, thereby

reducing the primary benefit of the RC. There is no realistic policy discussion on dramatically shifting the reserves from the legacy strategic reserve

structure. Instead, living within the current structure, the RC can add value in the areas discussed above, supplementing active duty forces in key

areas without seeking to carry out active duty missions.

Joe Petrucelli is a Ph.D. student in Political Science at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. He previously served on active duty

as a submarine officer and currently serves as a Naval Reserve officer and is employed as a civilian defense analyst. His research interests include naval

doctrine, defense policy, and deterrence. The opinions expressed here are his own, and do not represent the positions of his employer, the US Navy, or the

Department of Defense.

Photo can be found here < https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-armored-vehicles-infantry-troops-arrive-eastern-syria/story?id=66663099> .

< https://www.gmu.edu>

ALL TOGETHER DIFFERENT

Center for Security Policy Studies 3351 Fairfax Drive MS 3B1

Arlington, VA 22201 Email: [email protected]

Tel: (703) 993-4161 © 2025 George Mason University

GET UP TO $140K NOW (/careers-benefits/pay/enlistment-bonus)

Text NAVYBONUS to 764764 for information. Text HELP for help. Msg & data rates may apply.

NAVY RESERVE SAILOR ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Get Connected

Joining the Navy Reserve (/who-we-are/about-navy-reserve) is a chance to become part of something bigger than yourself, to discover camaraderie that’s rarely experienced in everyday life, and to benefit personally, professionally and financially. The Navy has 150+ job options, many of which offer part-time opportunities in the Navy Reserve. Explore our Careers section (/careers) to learn more.

THE NAVY RESERVE

Get Connected

(/)

Mission The United States is a maritime nation, and the U.S. Navy protects America at sea. Alongside our allies and partners, we defend freedom, preserve economic prosperity, and keep the seas open and free.

MORE INFO

WHO ARE NAVY RESERVE SAILORS?

WHAT DO NAVY RESERVE SAILORS DO?

HOW OFTEN DO NAVY RESERVE SAILORS SERVE?

WHERE DO NAVY RESERVE SAILORS SERVE?

WHAT’S LIFE LIKE IN THE NAVY RESERVE?

Get Connected

AMERICA'S NAVY

NAVY LIFE (/NAVY-LIFE)

CAREERS & BENEFITS (/CAREERS-

BENEFITS)

JOINING THE NAVY (/JOINING)

DO YOU QUALIFY? (/DO-YOU-

QUALIFY)

GET IN TOUCH

FIND A RECRUITER (/CONTACT-

US/FIND-A-RECRUITER)

APPLY NOW (/APPLY-NOW)

EVERY SAILOR A RECRUITER

(HTTPS://USNAVY.GOV1.QUALTRICS.COM/JFE/FORM/SV_D6ELPVSBMHEBEME)

FOLLOW US



(HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/AMERICASNAVY)



(HTTPS://X.COM/AMERICASNAVY) (HTTPS://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/AMERICASNAVY) (HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/UNITEDSTATESNAVY)



(HTTPS://WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/1335)

✉ S I G N U P FO R E M A I L S

© Navy Recruiting Command

5722 Integrity Drive, Bldg 784 Millington, TN 38054  |  1-800-USA-NAVY

(TEL://+18008726289)

TERMS OF USE (/TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS-OF-USE)

PRIVACY POLICY (/PRIVACY-POLICY) ACCESSIBILITY POLICY (/ACCESSIBILITY-POLICY)

WEBSITE FEEDBACK (/WEBSITE-FEEDBACK) SITEMAP (/SITEMAP)

Get Connected

Español

Home Military and veterans Selective Service

An official website of the United States government Here's how you know

All topics and services

The U.S. and its government

Government benefits

Immigration and U.S. citizenship

Money and credit

Travel Voting and elections

Military and veterans

Register for Selective Service (the draft)

Verify your Selective Service registration

Requirements to enlist

Military pay and benefits

Military and veterans ID

Veterans jobs and training

Get copies of military records

Locate military members

About the U.S. military

Selective Service

Selective Service Learn how to register and verify your registration for the Selective Service.

Register for Selective Service (the draft)

The Selective Service program sets up a fair way to register eligible men for military service.

Find your Selective Service number

Selective Service assigns a number to each person who registers. Learn how to check your registration, look up your number, and get proof that you registered.

Search all government

SHARE THIS PAGE:

What you think matters!

Government information

All topics and services

Directory of U.S. government agencies and departments

About us

About USAGov

Privacy and security policies

Accessibility policy

For federal agencies

Partner with us

Read our blog

For media

USAGov Outreach

Feature articles

Sign up to receive email updates

Enter your email

Sign up

Form Approved OMB#3090-0297 Exp. Date 06/30/2025

Was this page helpful?

Yes No

Next

USAGov is the official guide to government information and services An official website of the U.S. General Services Administration

GSA accessibility support GSA privacy policy FOIA requests

Branches of government

Report a website issue

Website usage data

Find us on social media