USAR Readiness issues

[bulldogg]

Why the US Army Reserves and Readiness Don't Mix
by CPT Mike Gifford, MP Corps, USAR

Fifteen months as a platoon leader in Iraq and Kuwait made me an unwilling witness to the failure of the United States Army Reserve (USAR) to fully prepare its soldiers for combat.

I arrived in the hot Middle Eastern sands from cool Londonderry, New Hampshire, a platoon leader with the 94th Military Police Company. We were activated in December of 2002 and released in October of 2004. Twenty-two months running a platoon and eight years in the Reserves gave me more than enough insight to feel comfortable making a few judgment calls on how the USAR prepared and supported my company's soldiers while we were overseas...

http://www.sftt.org/main.cfm?action...nKey=cmpDefense&htmlCategoryID=30&htmlId=3762

Any reservists on here have similar issues or a contradicting viewpoint from that of the author? With the US Army relying more heavily upon guard and reserve troops this is a serious concern. Incomplete and second rate training is a deadly mistake. Time to write letters to congressmen to light a fire under someone's backside.

 

[FO Seaman]

Why the US Army Reserves and Readiness Don't Mix
by CPT Mike Gifford, MP Corps, USAR

Fifteen months as a platoon leader in Iraq and Kuwait made me an unwilling witness to the failure of the United States Army Reserve (USAR) to fully prepare its soldiers for combat.

I arrived in the hot Middle Eastern sands from cool Londonderry, New Hampshire, a platoon leader with the 94th Military Police Company. We were activated in December of 2002 and released in October of 2004. Twenty-two months running a platoon and eight years in the Reserves gave me more than enough insight to feel comfortable making a few judgment calls on how the USAR prepared and supported my company's soldiers while we were overseas...

http://www.sftt.org/main.cfm?action...nKey=cmpDefense&htmlCategoryID=30&htmlId=3762

Any reservists on here have similar issues or a contradicting viewpoint from that of the author? With the US Army relying more heavily upon guard and reserve troops this is a serious concern. Incomplete and second rate training is a deadly mistake. Time to write letters to congressmen to light a fire under someone's backside.

I'm not USAR or ANG but, I wrote a similar topic on another forum. I stated that the Guard was under equipped, using gear 40+ years old.

I saw a photo (ANG aiding in the current crisis) in the paper of a ANG soldier wearing M-1955 Body Armor, ANG soldiers had M16A1's. When my father was Guard (1995) they had .45's as standard issue sidearms.

One of my CAP Captian's, who was a company leader in a Cav company, commanded an M113A1 from Veitnam, it still had the O.D. Green paint job and white star on the side.