Factors to Consider in Blending Active and Reserve Manpower Within Military Units

Book excerpt: A 2002 Department of Defense (DoD) report stated that the military services developed or adopted many innovative approaches to unit structures and organization as force size changed and operational tempo increased. The report suggested that organizational concepts leading to a more flexible, capable force must be implemented more broadly to better capitalize on the capabilities and strengths of the reserve components. In particular, such organizational concepts include blending active component (AC) and reserve component (RC) workforces in military units. We define blending as any arrangement or event that brings active and reserve manpower together within organizations for a common purpose. At the organizational level where mission work is actually done, there is interest in workforce integration between the components.