Several significant events involving our Reserve Forces have occurred in recent months. Perhaps the three most important developments have been the "no-notice" exercise of the President's statutory authority to call up to 200,000 members of the Selected Reserve to active duty; the convening by the President of the Sixth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation, which for the first time has focused on reserve compensation issues; and the completion of the first successful screening of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). In July, 1987, then Secretary Weinberger directed the design of a method of testing the availability of those members of the Selected Reserve who could be ordered to active duty by the President, without declaration of a national emergency, pursuant to the provisions of 10 USC, Section 673b. We decided to conduct this test in conjunction with the October 1987 JCS exercise, PROUD SCOUT 88. I am very pleased to report to you that our National Guardsmen and Reservists responded as expected. During the seventy-two hour time period of the test, nearly 94 percent of the members of the units selected by random sample were contacted, and over 92 percent actually reported to their Reserve Center or Armory or were excused pursuant to standards set by their respective Services. The second development was the convening of the Sixth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation on January 1, 1987, President Reagan, in his directions to the as required by law. Secretary, stated: "I am particularly interested in the compensation of the Reserve components, which have an increasingly country. We must provide our military The price of this commitment is not small, but I want to assure Because this is the first review to deal with reserve compensation issues, we expect to see a significant number of recommendations in the final report. The third major event, the successful screening of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), will be discussed in greater detail beginning on page 13. Selected Reserve Personnel Strength The Department has budgeted for a Selected Reserve strength increase of more than 20,000 in FY 1988 and will maintain this new level in FY 1989. This increase is required to meet the most critical manpower demands of both new and expanded missions for the Reserve components. The projected end strengths for FY 1988 and FY 1989 reflect a growth of over 300,000 Selected Reserve members since FY 1980 the beginning of this Administration. An increase in Selected Reserve end strength of 5,400 for the Army National Guard, and 7,000 for the Army Reserve is planned for FY 1988, and the new force levels will be maintained in FY 1989. For the first time since World War I, the Selected Reserve components of the Army will exceed the strength of the Active Army. These increases reflect our continued effort to reach our trained unit strength goal of 90% of our wartime requirement. Force structure increases and equipment modernization programs for Army aviation elements also are included in our request. For example, one new attack helicopter battalions equipped with AH-1S (Cobra) helicopters will be added in FY 1988, and six attack helicopter battalions in FY 1989. The Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve will continue force modernization to enhance their wartime capabilities. The Air Rese:ve components will receive additional C-5 and new C-130H tactical airlift aircraft. In addition, they will expand their role in Special Operations in FY 1988, activating an Air Force Reserve unit at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. To meet the increased wartime manning requirements of the Naval Reserve, we have planned for a Selected Reserve end strength increase of 4,500 in FY 1988 and we will maintain this increased level in FY 1989. The Fleet Hospital Program is one of the fastest growing programs in the Naval Reserve. Fleet Hospitals are self contained, modular, rapidly deployable medical facilities that provide comprehensive care for fleet and Marine forces engaged in combat operations. Eventually, more than half the units in the Fleet Hospital Program will be manned by Naval reservists. The Naval Reserve's Craft of Opportunity (COOP) program will grow from nine to twenty-two craft by FY 1989. The objective of this program is to enhance the Navy's mine countermeasures capability through the use of Navy patrol craft and converted civilian vessels to counter the mine threat to major U.S. military and commercial ports. The surface reserve frigate program began in 1982, with the transfer of four KNOX Class frigates to the Naval Reserve. The program has continued to grow, and with four more PERRY Class and one more KNOX Class frigates added during FY 1988, will total 24 frigates in an ambitious program to assign 26 modern frigates to the Naval Reserve by 1990. We requested an increase in the end strength of the Selected Reserve of approximately 1,300 in FY 1988 for the Marine Corps Reserve in order to meet requirements generated by additional unit activations and increased ground combat and support capability. The 4th Marine Aircraft Wing will activate a second KC-130T squadron and a second AH-1J squadron in FY 1988. In addition, the Medical Logistics Company of the 4th Supply Battalion, 4th Dental Battalion, and the remainder of the 4th Medical Battalion will be activated in the FY 1988 time frame. |