The Army Reserve Engaged in the Global War on Terrorism
Excerpt from Lieutenant General James R. Helmly's Video Message to Army Reserve Soldiers and their Families

In April of this year, the world cheered when statues of Saddam Hussein came tumbling down, symbolizing the end to a dictator's reign of terror. Similarly, the world cheered as the Taliban fell and Al-Qaeda fled Afghanistan. These victories occurred because of the sacrifices of the brave men and women of the United States Army, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. I'm extremely proud to serve with all the men and women who are our warriors and Soldiers.

Never before, have we, Army Reserve Soldiers, been asked to do as much as we do today. Once thought of as a "Force in Reserve," a force that drilled one weekend a month, two weeks in the summer, that force has now become a critical and vital element, a full partner, in today's Army. Army Reserve Soldiers are increasingly called upon to help carry the weight of fighting and winning our nation's wars.

The numbers tell the story: In the years between 1996 and 2001, we had about 9,300 Army Reserve Soldiers mobilized each year. Since September 11, 2001, we've had many, many more mobilized. At our peak, just after September 11th, we had over 82,000 Army Reserve Soldiers on Active duty; and today, we have about 62,000 mobilized. This trend is likely to continue.

The purpose of the Army Reserve is to provide Soldiers and units to assist the United States Army when we are called. A major attribute of the Army Reserve is that it is made up of Soldiers who use their civilian-based skills to perform their military missions. Historically, it was clear that our mission wasn't to be on the line every day. Our fellow Soldiers who serve on Active duty had that mission.

Today, the nation is asking Army Reserve Soldiers to be prepared to serve on Active duty when called. Just as the generation of World War II answered the call to service, we are being called upon today to sacrifice in defense of our Nation in the Global War on Terrorism.

As our President has said, the Global War on Terrorism is going to last a very long time. Sometimes, there will be fights like we've seen in Afghanistan and Iraq. And at other times, the fights will be in places that don't make the news. Right now we have American forces serving around the world in places that many of us might have a hard time finding on the world map; yet, these brave soldiers are going about their business with great distinction and courage, rooting out terrorists and the evil they represent.

I believe the news has accurately reported that planning for post-war operations in Iraq didn't recognize the full potential for the violence, instability and insecurity that have occurred. So now we are engaged in something that we didn't expect. The optimists thought all would be well, that we'd be welcomed as liberators by the Iraqi people, and be home in six months time. That just hasn't been the case. The very unstable dynamic, dangerous situation in Iraq has shown us that it is going to take a much larger force than had been previously anticipated or planned for. As a result, the Department of the Army announced that our Soldiers will be on the ground, in the theater of operations for 12 months.

Currently, our structure, that is our units and our organizations, is out of balance with the reality of the Global War on Terrorism. In order to relieve the pressure on our Soldiers, I am restructuring our force to take the type units that are no longer needed and reorganize them into units that are needed and required for the Global War on Terrorism. Having more of the right kinds of units means we don't have to keep going back to the same Soldiers, their units and their families over and over. This is a very big challenge, and it will take time to get our force restructured to where we have a rotational base that will provide the predictability that is essential to Army families. Our ultimate goal is to balance our force in the Army Reserve so that a Soldier will not have to mobilize for more than a 9- to 12-month period in a five-year window. I am working very, very hard to make that a reality.

I appreciate and respect the tremendous sacrifices by everyone — our soldiers, their families and their employers. May God bless the soldiers in the Army Reserve and their families, and may God bless this great and wonderful land we're privileged to call our home — the United States of America.

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