Reimer releases 'blueprint for future'
by Nicholas A. Minecci
Pentagram staff writer
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Dennis J. Reimer released a 22-page White Paper
June 18, titled "One Team, One Fight, One Future: Total Army Integration."
The paper discusses how the Army is addressing maximizing the contributions
of the active Army, Army Reserves and Army National Guard under the Total
Army concept and into the 21st Century.
Joining Reimer for the release were Charles L. Cragin, acting assistant
secretary of defense for reserve affairs; Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Plewes, chief,
Army Reserve; and Maj. Gen. Roger C. Schultz, director, Army National Guard.
The relationship of the Army's three components has been strained at times
with views on readiness and modernization requirements differing, and this
paper is an attempt to smooth integration between the three Army components,
according to the White Paper.
Building the strength and teamwork of the active and Reserve components
is the heart of what Reimer said he wants to accomplish with the White
Paper.
"What I want to do [is strengthen relations] between the 10 active-component
divisions and eight National Guard divisions, so that we can not only share
ideas and resources and train together, but develop a relationship that
will help us in future operations," he said.
With more than 36,000 soldiers in 82 countries, and the 21st century approaching,
Reimer said it was time for the Army leadership to take a serious look
at how it conducts the business of warfighting.
With new and changing roles, such as peace-keeping and humanitarian missions,
Army leadership is taking a hard look at the way it can best utilize its
resources, according to Reimer. "As I reflect on the future, I think the
thing we have got to understand is the Army is going through a lot of change,"
he said.
"One of the things we're not going to change is the Total Army concept.
That has been the strength of the United States Army in the past. It's
the strength of the Army today," he said.
"That's why you see 36,000 soldiers deployed away from home station today
and about a third of them, 12,000 of them as a matter of fact, are Reserve
component soldiers," he added.
One Team, One Fight, One Future proposes a reshaping of the Army as it
is currently aligned, with "building block" units composed of active duty,
Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers serving in the same unit.
"One of the things we are trying to do is to have more multi-component
units, and have some portion of the unit forward stationed, and as you
need it, you would have the addition to expand and bring in all three components
into the unit," Reimer explained.
Some integration has already taken place, according to Reimer, with a "crossing
of commands." This is a system where officers command units in the various
components.
"We have today, for example, a number of active component officers that
are commanding National Guard units, and we will incorporate some National
Guard officers and United States Army Reserve officers commanding active
component units in the future also," Reimer said.
"That is the basis of the building block concept, where you have the mixture
of active-component and reserve-component soldiers and leaders serving
together," he said.
With the new concept, the reserve components will have a greater participation
in Army missions, but Plewes said he doesn't see that as a problem for
the reservists or their employers. "In the last couple of years the Army
Reserve has sent over 12,000 soldiers to Germany, Hungary and Bosnia...
and in most we find great cooperation from American employers," he said.
"We try to cut back the length of the deployment as much as we can ...
we're trying to do everything we can" to keep employers and Reserve component
soldiers satisfied, he added.
Getting the public to understand the growing role of the part-time soldiers
is something the leadership is working on, Cragin said.
"[Secretary of Defense William Cohen] said we have got to take the term
'weekend warrior' and remove it from our lexicon. This reserve and guard
force is no longer 'weekend warriors,' they are serving on a continuing
basis," he said.
"General Reimer, General Plewes and General Shultz represent the leadership
within the Army of that Total Force doing what Secretary Cohen says is
so vitally important, and that is to seamlessly integrate the men and women
of this Total Force into one force, one fight, one future," he added.