U.S. Army War College >> Strategic Studies Institute >> Publications >> Details

The Reserve Policies of Nations: A Comparative Analysis

Authored by Dr. Richard Weitz.

Brief Synopsis

Throughout the world, military reserves are changing. National governments are transforming the relationships between their active and reserve components, the allocation of roles and responsibilities among reserve forces, and the way they train, equip, and employ reservists. Nations no longer consider their reservists as primarily a strategic asset for mobilization during major wars. This increased reliance on reserve components presents national defense planners with many challenges. Recruiting and retaining reservists has become more difficult as many individuals have concluded they cannot meet the increased demands of reserve service. Reservists are increasingly deployed on foreign missions at a time when expectations regarding their contributions to the management of terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other domestic emergencies are growing. Defense planners must also continue to refine the optimal distribution of skills and assets between regular and reserve forces. Finally, national governments must find the resources to sustain the increased use of reservists without bankrupting their defense budgets or undermining essential employer support for the concept of part-time soldiers with full-time civilian jobs. The author analyzes the innovative responses countries have adopted to manage these challenges.

You may also be interested in the following titles:

• 
  The Challenge of Drug Trafficking to Democratic Governance and Human Security in West Africa

• 
  War and Insurgency in the Western Sahara

• 
  Cyber Infrastructure Protection: Vol. II

• 
  Sharing Power? Prospects for a U.S. Concert-Balance Strategy

• 
  Egypt's New Regime and the Future of the U.S.-Egyptian Strategic Relationship

• 
  Making Strategic Sense of Cyber Power: Why the Sky Is Not Falling

• 
  From Chaos to Cohesion: A Regional Approach to Security, Stability, and Development in Sub-Saharan A...

• 
  Governance, Identity, and Counterinsurgency: Evidence from Ramadi and Tal Afar

Survey: The Reserve Policies of Nations: A Comparative Analysis

1. How would you rate the writing and overall quality?

12345

2. Is the content relevant for influencing present and future debates?

YesNoNo Opinion

Your Comments (No URLs Allowed):

If you'd like a reply to your comments, provide your email:
(optional)

Also by the Author/Editor:

Project on National Security Reform - Vol. 2: Case Studies Working Group Report
The Russian Military Today and Tomorrow: Essays in Memory of Mary Fitzgerald
China-Russia Security Relations: Strategic Parallelism without Partnership or Passion?
Russian-American Security Cooperation after St. Petersburg

View other pubs in the following categories:

Landpower Employment & Sustainment
Military Strategy and Policy
National Military Strategy
Reserve Components