How can the Army Reserve remain a trained and ready operational force in this interwar period given the current resource constraints and increasingly complex operational environment? Can the Army Reserve play a vital role in supporting the Total Army while it embeds a plan to build cohesive teams of Army professionals that thrive in conditions of uncertainty and chaos? Will the Army Reserve be able to overcome the challenges to training and readiness with a reduced operational tempo and a decrease in resources? Will the Army Reserve formation be marginalized in the coming years? The Nation faces a more complex and ambiguous threat environment than ever before. During this current interwar period the Army must design its forces to face an enemy that can rapidly adapt to exploit its weaknesses and avoid its strengths. The Army Reserve is a viable formation that can successfully contribute to the optimization of performance in every Soldier and leader through innovation and investment in education, training, and leader development as presented in the Force 2025 and Beyond strategy. In addition, the Army Reserve formation is well positioned to make significant contributions in support of the National Security Strategy and Total Army efforts by building enduring relationship both domestically through public and private partnership initiatives and internationally through regional engagements. Lastly, talent management already practiced in the Army Reserve can be leveraged to meet the intended outcomes of Force 2025 and Beyond ahead of schedule. Support to this research will be given by examining the most current Army publications, including Army Doctrine, White Papers, Pamphlets, and other official published material. Specifically, a review of published objectives and official documents that formulate how the Army Reserve is utilized, under what conditions and how talent management contributes to the defense posture and resources allocations. The study will include Force 2025 and Beyond published guidance and how it is perceived to incorporate or impact the Army Reserve specifically. Support will also be provided to this research project by incorporating the published works of defense experts.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)