Efficiency of Reserve and Guard Training Has Improved Since 1974, but More Can Be Done

To assure a swift transition in case of war or national emergency, modern military strategy depends on the Selected Reserves to quickly augment the Active Forces with skilled reservists. The ability of the Selected Reserves to perform is questionable because of critical manpower weaknesses, two of which are the shortage of qualified people and high turnover rates. The use of training time directly affects Reserves' qualifications, personnel shortages, high turnover rates, and readiness. The review of Reserve training was based mostly on questionnaires mailed to reservists and unit commanders, and the results were compared to those of a 1974 review.