Operationalization of the Army National Guard: A Bridging Strategy to Stop the Cycle of Indecision

摘要

Since September 11, 2001, the Army National Guard (ARNG) has brought over 400,000 soldiers to active duty to support operational requirements relating to the Global War on Terror. These demands have initiated the ARNG's transformation from a traditional strategic reserve to an operational reserve. This process has brought to light several significant concerns, each of which may be resolved by the Army over time and budget cycles. Unfortunately, time is not a luxury that the Army has regarding the problems associated with mobilizing ARNG units. Additional concerns exist that need to be resolved sooner than the more overarching ones associated with the transition to an operational reserve. Therefore, a bridging strategy is proposed, one that will mitigate each of the six immediate concerns described within this paper.