Case Studies in Reserve Component Volunteerism: The 711th Postal Company in Operation Restore Hope.

摘要

This is one of a series of case studies prepared to illustrate how volunteerism has been used to gain access to National Guard and Reserve capabilities in support of recent military operations. The case studies have been prepared by reference of official documents and reports and interviews with unit members and other persons involved in the operation. This case study tells about a provisional unit that was formed using 48 individual Army Reserve volunteers from several other units. The 711th Postal Company was formed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and deployed to Somalia for five months to provide postal service for the U.S. Army forces stationed there for Operation Restore Hope. Despite some problems in the formation process, the unit performed successfully in Somalia. This case study suggests that provisional units can be formed using reservists or active-duty personnel, but that more attention needs to be paid as to how provisional units can achieve a high degree of cohesion and capability rapidly. This case study is a background paper for a report on the role of volunteerism in Reserve accession policy being prepared for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.