Total Force Requires Total Commitment by John J. Politi (NAPSA)—The U.S. military is increasingly relying on the National Guard and Army Reserve in operations around the globe. As of February 2008, more than 100,000 Guardsmen and Reservists had : been activated in preparation for a confrontation with Iraq. This number : could eventually top a: 200,000 and rival S the call-up of Reservists during the first Gulf War. Such major activations of the Guard and Reserve were rare during the Cold War. Within the past 12 years, however, Reservists have been activated for six major contingencies. The burden placed on these units has grown dramatically and spiked even higher after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. The Guard and Reserve have performed exceptionally, whether defending our homeland in Operation Noble Eagle, or taking the offensive in Operation Enduring Freedom, which decimated Taliban and Al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan. Every day in the media, we see coverage of Guardsmen and Reservists rushing to get married, bidding tearful goodbyes to their families and worrying aloud about long absences from their civilian jobs (and resultant losses in income). Still, they continue to answer the call to duty without complaint. Our gratitude for their sacrifices, however, is not enough. There is a saturation point at which the operations tempo of the Guard and Reserve approaches that of active duty forces. We are now perilously close to that point. This strains employer support, hurts recruiting and retention, and places unduestress on families. For this reason, addedflexibility and recapitalization are needed to optimize the role of the Guard and Reserve and help avoid overextension. These units should also be equipped, modernized and compensated commensurate with their contribution to the Total Force. Finally, employer support for Guardsmen and Reservists (and recognition of that support) will be critical as we fight a long-term war on terrorism. Today’s Total Force requires a total commitment. John J. Politi is the Chairman of the Board of the Air Force Asso- ciation. For more information, visit the Air Force Association’s Web site at www.afa.org or write to the Air Force Association, attn: Policy and Communications, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198.
