READER FEEDBACK

Officer, The, Sep 2009

Regional Training Concept First Proven in Desert Storm

I found the article on "Training The Operational Reserve" (The Officer, July- August 2009, page 42) to be right on the mark for improving mobilization readiness. However, the concept of Regional Training Centers (RTC) has been around since at least 1991, shortly after the conclusion of Desert Shield/ Storm.

I was serving a short tour in 1991 with U.S. Forces Command (FORSCOM) J3, Reserve Component Training, Fort McPherson, Ga., as an action officer for a test prototype for the regional training concept. Many valuable lessons had been learned from the unprecedented mobilization of Army Reserve and National Guard assets in support of the recovery of Kuwait and the invasion of Iraq. My experience working at a F ORSCOMlevel environment, within the civilian bureaucracy along with military policymakers, was a real education.

The RTC test was focused on a fundamental approach to training at the individual and leader skill-level, crew/ squad/section skills, and battle drills up to company level. The RTC test site at Fort McCoy, Wis., provided combat support and combat service support exercises and training packages. This concept utilized Army Reserve observer/ controllers, and the standard after-action reviews were used at every stage. The training methodology was based on training to standard rather than to rime. It was determined to be successful and was to be continued and developed further.

It is interesting that this training concept has become revived and given new Ufe for our hard-pressed Reserve Soldiers. It is as sound and viable now as it was more than 18 years ago. Training to realistic and uncompromising standards is what our deploying units need to be successful.

Glen A. Armstrong

COL, AUS

Big Bend, Wis.

ROA Should Encourage Debate On Operationalizing Reserve

I commend ROA for devoting a major portion of the July- August Officer to issues concerning the "operational Reserve," including the article profiling Gen Craig McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau, and the letter from Army Reserve LTC Mike Callahan.

However, I was disappointed that ROA appears to have endorsed this major change without posing hard questions about whether it's right or wrong. The attitude seems to be, "OK, it's here. Let's see how we can best cope with it." Coping is good and necessary in the short term, but The Officer ought to be hosting some high-profile arguments about the core issue.

I believe LTC Callahan's letter was dead on: an operational reserve means no strategic reserve. As he argues in his letter (and as Stratfor CEO Dr. George Friedman wrote in a previous article in the September 2008 issue of The Officer), this military paradigm shift is a serious and long-term mistake for our country.

Further, is someone who is on duty 150 to 200 days a year and who per- forms an occasional 12-month mo- bilization reaUy a Reservist? I'd say, instead, that this person works part time in his or her civilian job and works nearly full time in the Active Duty mil- itary. Regardless of the law, how many civilian bosses wiU put up with losing a good employee for that much time ? Some Reservists are certainly lucky enough to hold such positions. But in my experience, few of those jobs - at least good jobs - are found in the private sector.

Gen McKinley is quoted as say- ing that the majority of Reservists he has met in his travels endorse the big change in op tempo. With respect, let me suggest that the general is not getting a scien- tific sampUng of opinion. Some- one wearing stars isn't going to hear a lot of dis- senting views while visiting a unit. Not everyone is intimidated by the presence of a flag or general officer, but many are reluctant to be labeled whiners in the presence of their peers while a visiting senior officer is in the room.

The concept of one weekend a month and a two -week annual drill is badly outdated. In today's world, Reservists must make a stronger commitment. But let's make that commitment reasonable. And let's debate what that means. ROA should lead that debate. So far, it has failed to do so.

Phillip R. Johnson

LCDR, USCGR (Ret.)

Seattle, Wash.