About Reserve Affairs

To serve as Principal Staff Assistant and advisor to the Secretary of Defense with responsibility for overall supervision of matters which involve the Reserve Components (RC), including:

Overview

Reserve Affairs will:

• Proactively deliver credible advice and information about the capabilities of the Reserve Components.
• Develop the policies and resources necessary to fully exploit those capabilities.

Reserve Affairs sets the conditions for a sustainable, seamlessly integrated and complementary total force. Since September of 2001, more than 800,000 Reserve Component personnel have been activated and 49% of the current members of the Selected Reserve possess recent deployment experience. The RC force is an integral partner with the Active component in defending the interests of the United States.

Provides Value:

The Reserve Components comprise approximately 43% of the Total DOD force. However, the overall cost of maintaining the force in reserve is approximately 9% of the total annual DOD budget. The Reserve Components represent a good value to the U.S. taxpayer.

Committed:

All current members of the Reserve Component have enlisted or re-enlisted since September 11, 2001.  Our Reservists and National Guardsmen choose to serve and they understand the responsibility that service carries. National Guardsmen and Reservists are committed to answering the call.

Quality of Life Support:

We support the Reserve Component community through initiatives including the Yellow Ribbon Program, Wounded Warrior Care, Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve, TRICARE Reserve Select, and MilitaryOneSource.