WEBVTT 00:00.059 --> 00:02.839 A question I get pretty frequently from , 00:02.849 --> 00:05.889 from my civilian friends is why do we 00:05.900 --> 00:08.189 even have an army reserve ? You know , 00:08.199 --> 00:10.199 most nations around the world don't 00:10.199 --> 00:12.366 have an army reserve . And the reality 00:12.369 --> 00:14.369 is that every couple of years , our 00:14.369 --> 00:16.591 national leadership takes a look at the 00:16.591 --> 00:18.702 world environment and tries to figure 00:18.702 --> 00:20.930 out what we need militarily to be able 00:20.940 --> 00:22.940 to accomplish our objectives . They 00:22.940 --> 00:25.162 published that in a document called the 00:25.162 --> 00:26.979 National security Strategy and 00:26.989 --> 00:28.878 essentially the national security 00:28.878 --> 00:30.878 strategy based on the condition the 00:30.878 --> 00:33.045 world is in today says that we need to 00:33.045 --> 00:34.933 have a military that's capable of 00:34.933 --> 00:37.045 engaging and decisively defeating two 00:37.049 --> 00:39.830 near peer competitors and still have 00:39.840 --> 00:42.400 enough left over to deter aggression by 00:42.409 --> 00:44.631 a third , near peer competitor . That's 00:44.631 --> 00:46.930 a pretty big ask of the military . And 00:46.939 --> 00:49.439 so once that requirement is defined , 00:49.450 --> 00:51.617 it's divvied up between the services , 00:51.617 --> 00:54.180 Air Force , Navy , Marine Corps , army 00:54.189 --> 00:56.860 and Space force . And the and that 00:56.869 --> 00:59.439 requirement is given to in our case , 00:59.450 --> 01:02.090 the army , the army then figures out 01:02.099 --> 01:04.155 what it's going to cost to meet that 01:04.155 --> 01:06.155 requirement . And it always and has 01:06.155 --> 01:08.266 been for well over 100 years , a cost 01:08.266 --> 01:10.155 that we can't meet with full time 01:10.155 --> 01:12.210 active duty soldiers . So one of the 01:12.210 --> 01:14.266 ways the army has found to meet that 01:14.266 --> 01:16.155 military objective and still stay 01:16.155 --> 01:18.266 within the budget constraints that we 01:18.266 --> 01:20.432 have is to have a large portion of our 01:20.432 --> 01:22.543 military that's active component . In 01:22.543 --> 01:24.599 other words , full time soldiers and 01:24.599 --> 01:26.710 the other part of our military of our 01:26.710 --> 01:28.877 army , that is army reserve , which is 01:28.877 --> 01:30.877 significantly less expensive . That 01:30.877 --> 01:33.043 model works , but it only works if our 01:33.043 --> 01:35.210 reserve component is trained and ready 01:35.210 --> 01:37.377 and fully capable in times of national 01:37.377 --> 01:39.488 need of standing alongside our active 01:39.488 --> 01:41.321 component in accomplishing those 01:41.321 --> 01:43.290 military objectives . And so the 01:43.300 --> 01:46.129 training that we do one week in a month , 01:46.139 --> 01:48.889 two weeks during the year is absolutely 01:48.900 --> 01:51.330 critical to us . Uh maintaining the 01:51.339 --> 01:53.450 level of readiness that we need to do 01:53.450 --> 01:55.561 to maintain our military objectives . 01:56.300 --> 01:58.529 The catch of course , that you all know 01:58.540 --> 02:00.949 very well is that our soldiers are 02:00.959 --> 02:03.160 doing this part time and they're in 02:03.169 --> 02:05.569 your organizations for most of the time . 02:05.580 --> 02:07.802 That's their , that's their , what they 02:07.802 --> 02:10.024 do with you and your companies and your 02:10.024 --> 02:12.024 businesses is their full time job . 02:12.100 --> 02:14.350 They could not do what they do in the 02:14.360 --> 02:16.690 reserve component without your grace , 02:16.699 --> 02:19.240 without your understanding , without 02:19.250 --> 02:21.830 your , your flexibility and allowing 02:21.839 --> 02:23.895 them to , to be gone for a couple of 02:23.895 --> 02:26.117 weeks at a time . And sometimes in case 02:26.117 --> 02:28.339 of national need as much as a year at a 02:28.339 --> 02:30.561 time , uh They could not do that if you 02:30.561 --> 02:32.783 weren't willing to let them lean on you 02:32.783 --> 02:35.006 a little bit when they , unlike some of 02:35.006 --> 02:37.061 their coworkers show up a little bit 02:37.061 --> 02:36.860 tired on a Monday morning , but they 02:36.869 --> 02:38.980 need to leave a little bit early on a 02:38.980 --> 02:41.080 Friday afternoon . They simply could 02:41.089 --> 02:42.811 not do what they need to do to 02:42.811 --> 02:44.756 contribute to our nation's defense 02:44.756 --> 02:46.922 without your understanding and without 02:46.922 --> 02:50.350 your support . So , a lot of people 02:50.360 --> 02:52.193 talk about the benefit of having 02:52.193 --> 02:54.690 military folks in their companies in 02:54.699 --> 02:56.839 their civilian organizations . And I 02:56.850 --> 02:59.389 don't need to tell you guys , uh you 02:59.399 --> 03:01.510 know , the benefits of having someone 03:01.510 --> 03:03.399 who's trained and disciplined and 03:03.399 --> 03:05.343 resilient and , and has leadership 03:05.343 --> 03:06.910 training in your , in your 03:06.919 --> 03:09.030 organizations . But I do want to turn 03:09.030 --> 03:11.252 that around a little bit and I wanted , 03:11.252 --> 03:12.975 wanted to give you a different 03:12.975 --> 03:15.141 viewpoint and that is the benefit of , 03:15.141 --> 03:17.086 of our soldiers , our Army reserve 03:17.086 --> 03:19.141 soldiers getting the benefit of what 03:19.141 --> 03:20.697 they learn in your civilian 03:20.697 --> 03:22.863 organizations and bringing that to the 03:22.863 --> 03:24.419 Army Reserve . Uh There are 03:24.419 --> 03:26.641 capabilities , there are competencies , 03:26.641 --> 03:28.863 there are skills that individuals learn 03:28.863 --> 03:31.086 and civilian employment that they bring 03:31.086 --> 03:33.086 to the Army Reserve that when we do 03:33.086 --> 03:35.141 have to stand up and stand along our 03:35.141 --> 03:36.919 active component counterparts , 03:36.919 --> 03:39.141 distinguish them in terms of , of their 03:39.141 --> 03:41.252 ability to work within groups , their 03:41.252 --> 03:42.975 ability to know and master and 03:42.975 --> 03:45.197 demonstrate mastery of skills that they 03:45.197 --> 03:47.363 might not get in the Army Reserve . So 03:47.389 --> 03:49.850 not only this isn't a one way deal 03:49.860 --> 03:52.082 where benefits that , that our soldiers 03:52.082 --> 03:54.360 get , they bring to your organizations . 03:54.360 --> 03:56.638 I , I want to help you appreciate that . 03:56.638 --> 03:58.860 It's what they get from working for you 03:58.860 --> 04:01.027 with you in your organizations , among 04:01.027 --> 04:03.193 your other employees that they bring . 04:03.193 --> 04:05.416 That that is of tremendous value to the 04:05.416 --> 04:07.527 army reserve . In conclusion , I hope 04:07.527 --> 04:09.582 you accept my heartfelt . Thanks for 04:09.582 --> 04:11.749 all that you're doing again . I wish I 04:11.749 --> 04:13.916 could be with you . Shake your hands , 04:13.916 --> 04:15.804 look you in the eye and thank you 04:15.804 --> 04:17.971 personally for the sacrifices that you 04:17.971 --> 04:19.971 make . You make it possible for our 04:19.971 --> 04:21.860 army to remain the g not only the 04:21.860 --> 04:23.971 greatest fighting force the world has 04:23.971 --> 04:26.193 ever known , but the greatest force for 04:26.193 --> 04:28.360 peace and stability the world has ever 04:28.360 --> 04:30.527 known . We do engage and win wars when 04:30.527 --> 04:32.416 we need to . But more importantly 04:32.416 --> 04:34.638 because we have a military that's large 04:34.638 --> 04:36.971 and robust and well trained and capable . 04:36.971 --> 04:39.082 We do far more to deter conflict than 04:39.082 --> 04:41.289 we ever do to engage and uh prevail in 04:41.299 --> 04:43.021 conflict . And for that , I am 04:43.021 --> 04:45.132 eternally grateful and your nation is 04:45.132 --> 04:45.148 great .