The U.S. Army Reserve is rooted in the tradition of the American Colonists who would serve, protect and defend this country whenever, wherever it was needed. George Washington and Alexander Hamilton proposed a contingency force to support the Army that would be centrally controlled by the Federal Government.

In 1908, Congress established the Medical Reserve Corps to provide a reservoir of trained Officers in times of war, then expanded the Reserve force in 1916 and 1920. Army Reserve Soldiers have trained and served with excellence since then -- through World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War, Panama, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, the Iraq War and the Global War on Terrorism.

Since 1990, Army Reserve Soldiers have been deployed to support every American military operation, including peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. Army Reserve Soldiers will continue their tradition of distinguished service and sacrifice today and into the future.

		Medical Reserve Corps is formed, creating the first reservoir of trained Officers in a Reserve status. The Army Reserve birthday is April 23, 1908.
		World War I - 89,500 Officers from the Officers Reserve Corps participate; one-third are medical doctors. 80,000 members of the Enlisted Reserve Corps serve; 15,000 are in medical units.
		National Defense acts of 1916 and 1920 create the Officers Reserve Corps and Enlisted Reserve Corps, later named the Organized Reserve Corps (ORC), forerunners of the current Army Reserve.
		Funding limits training for Reserve officers to two weeks every three to four years.
		Civilian Conservation Corps - More than 30,000 Army Reserve Officers help manage 2,700 CCC camps.
		World War II - 200,000 members of the ORC participate. Reserve Officers provide 29% of the Army's Officers.
		Retirement pay and drill pay for ORC members enacted.
		Korean Conflict - 240,500 members of the ORC are called to Active Duty. More than 400 Army Reserve units serve in Korea.
		Legislation renames the ORC as the Army Reserve and divides it into a Ready Reserve, Standby Reserve and Retired Reserve and provides that Reserve units have 24 training days and up to 17 days of annual training. The President is given authority to call up to one million Army Reserve Soldiers of all services.
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		Berlin Crisis - More than 60,000 Army Reserve soldiers are called to Active duty.
		Vietnam Conflict - 5,900 Army Reserve soldiers are mobilized.
		The All-Volunteer Force is implemented; Army Reserve receives more responsibilities and resources.
		Grenada - After the U.S. rescue operation, volunteers from Army Reserve civil affairs units deploy to Grenada to help rebuild infrastructure.
		Panama - After the U.S. invasion, Army Reserve civil affairs and military police units help restore order.
		Persian Gulf War - More than 84,000 Army Reserve Soldiers provide combat support and combat service support to the Army.
		Somalia - Army Reserve Soldiers provide postal, logistical and other assistance to support U.S. relief efforts.
		Haiti - Army Reserve helps restore democracy, providing more than 70% of all Reserve component support.
		Bosnia - The Army Reserve contributes more than 68% of the Reserve Soldiers mobilized, providing civil affairs, medical, postal, engineer and transportation support to Operation Joint Endeavor/Joint Guard/Joint Forge. This includes more than 11,150 Soldiers from more than 330 units.
		Army Reserve sends units to Central America in support of New Horizons '99 (Nuevos Horizontes '99), the relief effort for Hurricane Mitch.
		Kosovo - Army Reserve units support NATO forces.
		Operation Enduring Freedom - Army Reserve mobilizes thousands of troops in the global war on terror. Providing key support for combat operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
		Operation Noble Eagle - Army Reserve becomes a major partner with FEMA, state and local agencies in defending the American homeland against terrorist attacks, providing resources and training to "first responder" organizations across the nation.
		Operation Iraqi Freedom - Army Reserve Soldiers participate by the thousands in the march to Baghdad and the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq.
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