Chiefs of Reserve address issues/concerns during Town Hall meeting
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., (USTCNS) --- A panel of Reserve service chiefs discussed readiness, joint integration and benefit issues here, Mar. 19, during a Town Hall meeting hosted by U.S. Transportation Command.
During their visit to USTRANSCOM; Lt. Gen. Jimmy Sherrard III, chief, Air Force Reserve; Vice Adm. John Cotton, chief, Naval Reserve; Maj. Gen. Jack Bergman, director, Marine Reserve Affairs; Maj. Gen. Robert Carrothers, assistant military deputy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (IMA); and Rear Adm. Robert Papp Jr., director, Reserve and Training U.S. Coast Guard, addressed questions from an audience of reservists from Scott AFB and surrounding areas.
The audience asked questions concerning their particular situations and disparities in benefits between the active and reserve components.
"The person shooting at you does not care (about your benefits), they are going to take the shot," Sherrard responded to a question about lost benefits upon mobilization. Another Reserve chief echoed reservists lose about 15 benefits when they are called to active duty.
While recognizing the need to rectify these disparities, each of the panel members emphasized readiness and integration.
"We have got to get back to basics," Cotton said. "Everyone of you is like a Lego block, with a certain capability . . . we need to assume a readiness culture," he continued while talking about readiness and preparations for integration into the total force.
The panel also emphasized readiness for mobilization encompasses much more than the individual reservist. Readiness and support to family members has to be integrated.
Sherrard shared the difficulties and hardship that some families endure when their reservist is mobilized. He acknowledged the fact that these family members often do not have the same support network as their active counterparts.
The Reserve service chiefs are also examining the process for mobilizing reservists.
While sharing an example of the cumbersome process Carrothers said, "it took 27 signatures to mobilize one Army reservist." This process is not effective or efficient. Lessons are being learned from the Global War on Terrorism and are being implemented within the confines of existing laws.
More than any other combatant command, USTRANSCOM relies on its Reserve components for peacetime responsiveness and wartime capability. They provide approximately 56 percent of the Defense Transportation System's personnel, and comprise 61 percent of continental U.S. land and 57 percent of airlift transportation capacity.
"The outpouring from reserve Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and coast guardsmen from the local area was overwhelming", according to Maj. Gen. Butch Pair, chief of staff, USTRANSCOM. "This might be the first time all five service chiefs had ever assembled at a unified command headquarters at one time."
During their visit to USTRANSCOM; Lt. Gen. Jimmy Sherrard III, chief, Air Force Reserve; Vice Adm. John Cotton, chief, Naval Reserve; Maj. Gen. Jack Bergman, director, Marine Reserve Affairs; Maj. Gen. Robert Carrothers, assistant military deputy, Assistant Secretary of the Army (IMA); and Rear Adm. Robert Papp Jr., director, Reserve and Training U.S. Coast Guard, addressed questions from an audience of reservists from Scott AFB and surrounding areas.
The audience asked questions concerning their particular situations and disparities in benefits between the active and reserve components.
"The person shooting at you does not care (about your benefits), they are going to take the shot," Sherrard responded to a question about lost benefits upon mobilization. Another Reserve chief echoed reservists lose about 15 benefits when they are called to active duty.
While recognizing the need to rectify these disparities, each of the panel members emphasized readiness and integration.
"We have got to get back to basics," Cotton said. "Everyone of you is like a Lego block, with a certain capability . . . we need to assume a readiness culture," he continued while talking about readiness and preparations for integration into the total force.
The panel also emphasized readiness for mobilization encompasses much more than the individual reservist. Readiness and support to family members has to be integrated.
Sherrard shared the difficulties and hardship that some families endure when their reservist is mobilized. He acknowledged the fact that these family members often do not have the same support network as their active counterparts.
The Reserve service chiefs are also examining the process for mobilizing reservists.
While sharing an example of the cumbersome process Carrothers said, "it took 27 signatures to mobilize one Army reservist." This process is not effective or efficient. Lessons are being learned from the Global War on Terrorism and are being implemented within the confines of existing laws.
More than any other combatant command, USTRANSCOM relies on its Reserve components for peacetime responsiveness and wartime capability. They provide approximately 56 percent of the Defense Transportation System's personnel, and comprise 61 percent of continental U.S. land and 57 percent of airlift transportation capacity.
"The outpouring from reserve Soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and coast guardsmen from the local area was overwhelming", according to Maj. Gen. Butch Pair, chief of staff, USTRANSCOM. "This might be the first time all five service chiefs had ever assembled at a unified command headquarters at one time."
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