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Defense Primer: Reserve Forces

The term reserve component (RC) refers collectively to the
seven individual reserve components of the Armed Forces.
Congress exercises authority over the reserve components
under its constitutional authority to raise and support
Armies, to provide and maintain a Navy, and to
provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the
Militia. (Article I, Section 8)

There are seven reserve components:

*  Army  National Guard

*  Army  Reserve

*  Navy  Reserve

*  Marine Corps Reserve

*  Air National Guard

*  Air Force Reserve

*  Coast Guard Reserve

The Space Force, under the Department of the Air Force,
does not have a reserve component (10 U.S.C. §20001).
The purpose of these seven reserve components, as codified
in law, is to provide trained units and qualified persons
available for active duty in the armed forces, in time of war
or national emergency, and at such other times as the
national security may require, to fill the needs of the armed
forces whenever more units and persons are needed than are
in the regular components. (10 U.S.C. §10102) The Army
National Guard and the Air National Guard also have an
important role under state authority, responding to various
emergencies such as disasters and civil disorders.

  Dfference between Federai ReserveS
and   Nationa Guard
The Army  Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve,
Air Force Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve are
exclusively federal organizations. There are 54 separate
National Guard organizations: one for each state, and one
each for Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and
the District of Columbia. While the District of Columbia
National Guard is an exclusively federal organization and
operates under federal control at all times, the other 53
National Guards operate as state or territorial organizations
most of the time. In this capacity, each of these
organizations is identified by its state or territorial name
(e.g., the California National Guard or the Puerto Rico
National Guard) and is controlled by its respective
governor. National Guard units and personnel can be
ordered into federal service. When this happens, control


Updated November  22, 2024


passes from the governor of the affected units and
personnel to the President of the United States.

Reserve Categories
All reservists, whether they are in the Reserves or the
National Guard, are assigned to one of three major reserve
categories: the Ready Reserve, the Standby Reserve, or the
Retired Reserve.

Ready  Reserve
The Ready Reserve is the primary manpower pool of the
reserve components. Members of the Ready Reserve will
usually be called to active duty before members of the
Standby Reserve or the Retired Reserve. The Ready
Reserve is made up of three subcomponents:

The Selected Reserve contains those units and individuals
within the Ready Reserve designated as so essential to
initial wartime missions that they have priority over all
other Reserves. (DOD Instruction 1215.06.) Members of
the Selected Reserve are generally required to perform one
weekend  of training each month and two weeks of training
each year, although some may train more than this. When
reservists are activated, they most frequently come from
this category (See Table 1).

    Table  I. Selected Reserve Personnel Strength
                   As of July 31, 2024

                                           Selected
           Reserve Component               Reserve

  Army National Guard                         323,435
  Army Reserve                                 173,566
  Navy Reserve                                 55,589
  Marine Corps Reserve                         32,747
  Air National Guard                           103,168
  Air Force Reserve                            65,713
                                  Total       754,218
Source: Defense Manpower Data Center, DOD Personnel, Workforce
Reports & Publications.

The Individual Ready Reserve  (IRR) is a manpower pool
of individuals who have already received military training,
either in the Active Component or in the Selected Reserve.
They are not normally required to perform training, but can
be ordered to active duty under certain circumstances.

The Inactive National Guard (ING) is made up of those
members  of the Army National Guard who are in an
inactive status (currently there is no ING for the Air

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