Reservists By The Numbers*

1. 1.1 million reservists serve in the Armed Forces. The gender breakdown: 888,800 are male, 192,400 are female.
2. The average age of a reservist is 38.
3. There are 108,400 Navy reservists, and 25 percent of them have been deployed.
4. There are 92,000 Marine reservists, and 39 percent of them have been deployed.
5. Since 2001, the average length of deployment for the Navy Reserve is 11 months. For Marines, it’s 12 months.
6. Across all branches of the services, 50 percent of reservists are married. Dependents total 1.618 million.
7. Most reservists live in communities far from military installations.
8. The main sources of stress for reservists are issues involving family, civilian employment and reserve employment.
9. Even a single deployment can create problems with employers.
10. Deployment often leads to an increase in substance dependence and abuse.
11. About 36 percent of reservists say military work demands interfere with family life. The highest level of family-work conflict is reported by the Marine Corps.
12. Women reservists reported significantly more stress than men, with 25 percent saying they experienced a "great deal" of stress related to being a female in a male-dominated, combat-oriented environment.
13. Among reservists, more than 50 percent of females and 37 percent of men reported some type of physical abuse or sexual harassment/abuse.

*Information is drawn from a December 2009 presentation given by the Office of Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) entitled, "Providing a View from the Front Line: How Deployment Effects Reservists."