APRIL 23, 2021 – The U.S. Army Reserve celebrates its birthday on April 23rd each year, celebrating contributions to two World Wars, the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf War and many other missions. This year it will commemorate 113 years of history in service to the Army and the nation.
Brig. Gen. Jed Schaertl, deputy commanding general for mobilization and reserve affairs, U.S. Army Europe and Africa, is a member of the U.S. Army Reserve. “I left the active component after serving with some of the best Soldiers, units and leaders in the Army but I needed a change to support my family. As I started a new career I joined the Army Reserve because I wanted to continue to serve and the USAR has a wide array of Engineer and training units and commands.
“Not knowing where I would end up, the USAR provided me the best options to do the military jobs I wanted and manage my own military career. I had no idea an event like 9/11 would occur just 20 days after I left active duty and inprocessed into my new USAR unit,” he said.
“Since that day, the USAR has provided me the opportunity to mobilize multiple times and deploy to war, attend needed military schooling, command Engineer and training units at various levels and also serve as a “traditional reservist” while working different civilian jobs.”
What began in 1908 as a small corps of medical professionals held in readiness for duty is today the Army’s global operational reserve force, with a presence in all 50 states, five U.S. territories and 20 time zones across the globe.
The U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. Army Reserve Command is an integral member of todays’ Army with USARC collocated with Forces Command at Fort Bragg, N.C. and in U.S. Army Europe and Africa the 7th Mission Support Command is assigned and forwarded stationed in Germany as part of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command.
Currently, the Army Reserve is providing high-demand capabilities throughout the United States, in support of federal efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally there are over a dozen mobilized USAR units supporting missions and operations across the theater in Germany, Poland, Romania and Kosovo.
As staff members, hundreds of USAR Soldiers are on individual orders to Europe providing full time support to the 7th Army Training Command, 21st TSC and across the staff sections of U.S. Army Europe and Africa.
Many Department of the Army civilians in Europe have a history of uniformed military service and continue to serve in uniform in the U.S. Army Reserve as either part of the 7th MSC or as members of CONUS based units which requires them to travel back to the U.S. to train with their units.
By Connie Dickey, USAG Wiesbaden Public Affairs