*I'm being a little self-indulgent here so bear with me, my niece is an Army Reservist, I dedicate this thread to her and her compatriots of Citizen/Soldiers*


Commentary: Army Reserve Celebrates 100 Years of Constants and Change
By Army Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz
Special to American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, April 23, 2008 – The Army Reserve’s 100th anniversary acknowledges our nation’s enduring need for such a force, and it gives us an opportunity to recognize the contributions of hundreds of thousands of men and women who sustained the organization for a century.
Further, this anniversary recognizes that the force has changed over 100 years from a small reserve force of about 160 medical professionals into a much more capable force that provided all types of combat-arms, combat-support and combat-service-support capabilities to what it is today: a CS/CSS-focused operational, expeditionary, and domestic force that is an essential piece of the Army.

What hasn’t changed in 100 years is the commitment, selfless service, and personal courage of our men and women who voluntarily put their lives on hold – and on the line – to defend our country and our freedoms.

Since terrorists slammed hijacked airliners into New York’s World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2001, more than 182,000 Army Reserve soldiers have mobilized to serve in Iraq, Afghanistan and more than a dozen other countries. Today, about 23,000 Army Reserve soldiers serve on active duty in support of the war on terrorism. About 17,000 serve overseas, while another 6,000 support homeland defense missions at training centers, mobilization sites, and medical centers. About 15,000 serve in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Three Army Reserve soldiers have earned the Silver Star Medal for valor in action:

-- Spc. Jeremy Church, April 9, 2004;

-- Sgt. James Witkowski, Oct. 26, 2005; and

-- Staff Sgt. Jason Fetty, Oct. 15, 2007.

Today, I lead 205,000 heroes, and I see those heroes step up every day to serve our nation. Our Army Reserve soldiers are part of the next greatest generation of Americans who have served their nation in the military.