DOD announces changes to Reserve component policy

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WASHINGTON (AFNEWS) --  Department of Defense officials are changing the way they will manage reserve-component forces, announced Dr. Robert M. Gates, secretary of defense Jan. 11.

The first aspect of the policy change will involve the way the department manages deployments of reserve forces. Currently, reserve deployments are managed on an individual basis. In the future deployments will be managed on a unit basis, allowing for greater unit cohesion and predictability for training and deployments.

The second aspect of the change addresses the maximum mobilization time for members of the reserve forces. Currently, the policy is for a maximum mobilization time of 18 months. The department will reduce the maximum mobilization timeframe to one year.

Third, the policy objective for involuntary mobilization of Guard and Reserve units will remain a one-year-mobilized to five-year-demobilized ratio. However, today's global demands will require a number of selected Guard and Reserve units to be remobilized sooner than the current policy goal. That deployment-to-demobilization ratio remains the goal of the department, as does the active component's ratio goal of one year of deployment to two years at home station.

The fourth aspect of the policy change will establish a new program to compensate individuals in both active and reserve-component forces who are required to mobilize or deploy earlier than established policy goals of deployment ratios. It will also involve servicemembers who are required to extend beyond established rotation-policy goals.

The final aspect of the policy change will direct commands to review their administration of the hardship-waiver program, to ensure that they have properly taken into account exceptional circumstances facing military families of deployed servicemembers.

These policy changes will better allow the department to posture itself for success in the uncertain environment in which it currently operates and well into the future.

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