COURTESY PHOTO: FIRST LT. ANTHONY E. JOHN / U.S. ARMY RESERVE Chief of the Army Reserve Lt. Gen. James Helmly, left, performed a re-enlistment ceremony Tuesday for three soldiers of the 9th Regional Readiness Command. The soldiers re-enlisting, from left, were Sophia Mendoza, on crutches, Leah Mariano and Vaughn Gibbons. At far right, Joven Miranda, command sergeant major of the 9th, provided support for his troops.

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Danger rises
for Reserves

Potential members are warned of
conflict as the Army Reserve tries
to hit recruiting goals

With the Army Reserve expected to miss its recruiting goal by up to 5,000 soldiers by the end of September, potential recruits are now being told not to expect only "two weeks in the summer, one weekend a month and extra money for college."

During a news conference yesterday, Lt. Gen. James Helmly, chief of the Army Reserve, acknowledged that recruiting goals are falling short and that recruits are being told to be ready for potentially long and dangerous deployments.

During the conference at Army Reserve Fort Shafter headquarters, Brig. Gen. John Ma, head of the Army Reserve in the Pacific, said retention -- not recruiting -- is his major challenge, since the active Army is responsible for bringing in new soldiers.

And so far, his 3,300-member force has "met all of its retention goals."

Ma said it might be too early to determine the effect the Iraq war will have on his command. The first major Army Reserve unit deployed -- the 411th Engineer Battalion that returned in March -- only recently completed its post-deployment and mobilization.

But in an internal private memo in January, Helmly said his citizen soldier army "is rapidly degenerating into a 'broken' force." In the memo, Helmly said the Army Reserve is unable to accomplish its missions in Iraq and Afghanistan because of "dysfunctional" personnel policies.

Yesterday, Helmly told reporters that the memo was an attempt to describe in "very crisp" and concise words the readiness condition of the Army Reserve.

Helmly said he believes that issues have been addressed, but he acknowledged that they are "complex and deep" and will not be resolved quickly.

He liken the reforms "to rebuilding an airplane while it was flying."

Two years ago, Helmly said he realized the Army Reserve faced "serious challenges in recruiting, retention and strength." He said changes were needed in the way the Army Reserve was managed because the old ways were "inefficient and ineffective."

In a September 2003 Defense University speech, a year after he assumed command, Helmly, a Vietnam War veteran, warned that the Reserve would have to make these changes at the same time it was fighting a war.

One of the changes involves the way the Army Reserve advertises for new recruits. Helmly said there was no mention of war or the possibility of mobilization.

Now, about 50 percent of the soldiers serving in Iraq are members of the Army Guard or Army Reserve.

That realization has required Army Reserve leaders to institute a warrior creed.

"Now, when our soldiers carry weapons wherever they go ... they always wear their body armor. They walk rather than ride buses," Helmly said.

He said there is no longer an attitude or pretense that the Army Reserve will never mobilize in large numbers for a long time and will be stationed only in secure rear areas.

However, restructuring the Reserve will not mean major changes for the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry -- the only infantry unit in the entire Army Reserve, Helmly said.

"It will remain an Army Reserve and a Pacific unit. The only change is that it will work and train closer with the 29th Brigade."

The 100th Battalion is one of three infantry units assigned to the Hawaii Army National Guard's 29th Brigade Combat and has been in Iraq since February. It is made up of 625 Army reservists. The Pacific Army Reserve's 322nd Civil Affairs Brigade with 150 members is also in Iraq. Another 50 island Army reservists are assigned to active Army units in Iraq.