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The changing Army Reserve.

Article Excerpt
COMMANDER'S INTENT GUIDES FORCE TO DESIRED END STATE

WASHINGTON -- When I joined the Army in 1974, we were a nation that had just come out of a lengthy war and was beginning a major transformation. There was great turbulence in the force, and public opinion of military service was not very high.

Over 30 years later, we find ourselves engaged in another long war--the Global War on Terrorism. The Army today is implementing the most substantial and complex transformation and modernization since WW II to meet changing demands. Currently, there is a lot of turbulence with manning the force, and public opinion about the war is mixed.

But today there is a significant difference. Today this nation holds our military service men and women in the highest esteem. They appreciate the selfless nature of our Soldiers and the sacrifices they make to protect our nation from those who would do us harm.

Today, we are facing a different kind of enemy, and America needs an Army that can sustain military capabilities for the long haul. We will be engaged in the Global War on Terrorism for the foreseeable future, and the nation will continue to call upon our warrior-citizens to serve.

I am extremely proud of how superbly our service men and women have performed. I am also very grateful to each and every one of them for their understanding of the complex and dangerous threat we face and their willingness to continue to stand up and serve the nation.

As the leader of almost 200,000 warrior-citizens, it is my responsibility to ensure Army Reserve units and individual Soldiers are prepared to continue to deploy as an integral part of an operational military force. To foster unity of effort throughout our formations, I have published my vision for the Army Reserve and Commander's Intent.

My vision statement articulates who we are as an organization and the value we bring to the nation. "The Army Reserve is a community-based federal operational force of skill-rich warrior-citizens providing complementary capabilities for joint expeditionary and domestic operations."...

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