Framing A Strategic Approach For Reserve Component Joint Officer Management

Framing a Strategic Approach for Reserve Component Joint Officer Management

This research frames a strategic approach to reserve joint officer management that addresses the requirements for, and the supply of, joint officers in the reserve component, and also accounts for the unique constraints and challenges involved in joint officer management for reserve active-status list officers. Because the work required of many reservists is becoming increasingly joint, the need for a systematic examination of how reserve active-status list officers are trained and developed in joint matters is becoming more and more urgent-especially given the dramatic increase in the use of the reserve forces. A strategic approach to joint officer management for reserve active-status list officers must assess the need for officers with prior joint knowledge, experience, and acculturation in certain positions as well as their availability. The authors estimate the supply of joint reserve officers and make several recommendations to help implement a strategic approach to reserve component joint officer management.

Framing a Strategic Approach for Reserve Component Joint Officer Management

The Department of Defense (DoD) management processes for active component joint duty assignments, education, and training were built around the solid foundation provided by the Goldwater-Nichols Act (GNA) of 1986. However, it is being increasingly recognized that the current approach to joint matters needs to evolve from its current static format to a more dynamic approach that broadens the definitions of "joint matters" and "joint qualifications" and allows for multiple paths to growing the number of joint officers. An important extension of the current strategic plan is a more explicit and strategic consideration of reserve component joint officer management. The need for a systematic examination of how reserve component joint officers are trained and developed is becoming increasingly urgent, given the dramatic increase in the use of the reserve forces. Building on work done earlier for the active component with respect to joint officer management, this research focuses on framing a strategic approach to reserve joint officer management that does the following: (1) addresses the requirements for and the supply of joint officers for the reserve component, and (2) accounts for the unique constraints of and challenges to reserve joint officer management. A strategic approach for reserve component joint officer management must deliberately determine which jobs require joint experience or which provide it. In particular, given the current strategic intent of the DoD with respect to jointness ("push it to its lowest appropriate level"), the need for joint experience should be measurable in a much larger number of billets, in particular in billets internal to the service. Moreover, valid joint experience might now be provided by service in billets internal to the services, particularly those associated with Joint Task Forces (JTFs), with service component commands, and with joint planning and operations.

Reserve Component Programs