Army Reserve 97th birthday message: April 23, 2005

Message from the Chief, Army Reserve

Nearly a century ago--following the Spanish-American War--our national leadership realized the need to establish a federal force of volunteers with specialized skills, talents and abilities that would complement the warfighting skills of the Army.

That force--the Medical Reserve Corps--was born on April 23, 1908, and grew to become today's United States Army Reserve.

As we celebrate the Army Reserve's 97th birthday, we remain that specialized, complementary, skill-rich force of citizen-warriors and more; we are a force with the courage to change itself.

The Army Reserve is changing and will continue to do so as we face the challenges of the Global War on Terrorism and other threats in the 21st century. In fact, the Army Reserve is changing more now than at any time in the last 50 years. We are achieving our vision: An integral component of the world's best Army, complementing the joint force with skill-rich capabilities.

And we are changing while at war. Change is never easy, but it is even more difficult while our Soldiers are actively engaged in operations around the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

Change requires us to let go of things we have grown accustomed to, step out of our comfort zone and view the challenges of this century from a new perspective.

We are changing virtually everything we do in the Army Reserve--how we organize our units, train as Warriors, and equip our Soldiers to fight and win on the asymmetric battlefield. Our Army Reserve Expeditionary Force packages provide predictability to our Soldiers, their families and employers, as well as the combatant commanders. This rotational capability focuses our resources on the units most likely to deploy first.

We are even changing how we talk and think about Army Reserve service. We no longer call ourselves Reservists--we are Army Reserve Soldiers. What we used to call "weekend drills" are now known as "battle assemblies." As our Army--and the threats we face--change, it is important that we change how we think. We are not weekend warriors; we are citizens first, warriors always. Honor is never off duty.

What hasn't changed in our 97 years is the courage, commitment and sacrifice of our people who voluntarily accept the challenge of serving. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 130,000 Army Reserve Soldiers have been called to active duty. Of those, 70 of our brothers and sisters have been killed in action, with hundreds more wounded. One of our own, SGT Matt Maupin of the 724th Transportation Company, remains captured after more than a year.

His parents, Keith and Carolyn Maupin, have demonstrated exemplary courage and grace. Despite the heartbreak of having a son in captivity, they have worked endlessly with the Yellow Ribbon Support Center they founded in Ohio to support Soldiers and their families. Their bravery and loyalty in the face of overwhelming circumstances is inspiring.

We are privileged to live in a time of great heroes. One of those heroes, SPC Jeremy Church, was in the same unit as SGT Maupin, the 724th Transportation Company. When their unit was ambushed on April 9, 2004, SPC Church, driving the lead vehicle, distinguished himself by engaging enemy fighters with his M16A2 rifle and treating his wounded lieutenant, all while still operating his Humvee to avoid detonating improvised explosive devices, mines, small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. He led the convoy through the kill zone, carried his injured lieutenant to safety, then returned to the kill zone to help fellow Soldiers. His courage under fire has earned him the Silver Star, our Nation's third-highest combat award, and the first one earned by an Army Reserve Soldier in the Global War on Terrorism.

There are many other stories of such courage and sacrifice on the part of Army Reserve Soldiers. Every day, the brave men and women of the Army Reserve are performing with honor, excellence and professionalism under harsh and life-threatening conditions. Let us never forget them or their dedication to our country.

To all the Soldiers of the Army Reserve, to your families and employers, and to our great civilian employees, thank you for serving the United States of America. The challenges we face are great, but our determination to overcome them is greater still.

May God bless you all as He continues to bless the United States of America. Happy birthday, members of the United States Army Reserve!

COPYRIGHT 2005 U.S. Army Reserve
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group