For 114 years, the Army Reserve has been a key component of Army readiness.

“The vital support role that the Army Reserve plays today is essential if the Army is to be anywhere; and it continues today,” said Maj. Gen. Walt Duzzny, chief of staff, Army Materiel Command and deputy commanding general, Army Reserve.

During a breakfast celebrating the Army Reserve’s birthday, Duzzny expressed his pride as an Army Reserve officer and congratulated fellow Reserve soldiers in the audience. who answered the call.

“There is no doubt in my military mind that we remain the greatest fighting force on earth, the United States Army, and the Army Reserve is one of them, and it is an honor to be here to represent that,” Duzzny said.

As a history buff, Duzzny took the opportunity to highlight the impacts of the Army Reserve throughout history. President Theodore Roosevelt signed into law the Formation of the Medial Reserve Corps Act – the official predecessor of the Army Reserve – to respond to the call in times of national emergency.

“Again and again the Army Reserve is called upon and they answer the call,” he said. “It’s amazing to see. I had the chance to go see units where they mobilize, and the sense of duty and the sense of commitment and professionalism, it is really an operational force.

The theme for this year’s Army Reserve anniversary is “The United States Army Reserve and its people, shaping tomorrow.” Reflecting on the history of the Army Reserve, Duzzny also noted five defining periods that have shaped the component today: World War I, World War II, Cold War, Desert Shield/Storm and the global war on terrorism. These periods shaped the Army Reserve to achieve unprecedented levels of readiness as a task force.

“At the time, the Army Reserve was really a strategic reserve. It was going to take a WWII-like event, but today we operationalized the reserve component. he said.

Duzzny served in all three components of the Army: Active Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve. Previously, he served as Director of the Army Reserve Engagement Cell, U.S. Army North, Principal Representative of U.S. Northern Command, and a member of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. His missions spanned borders, hurricanes and pandemic response, and took him around the world. In his experience, he said no other country had such a prepared army reserve as the United States.

“We cannot go to war, we cannot fight and win, we cannot carry out the main mission of the army, which is to fight and win our nation’s wars, without the capabilities of the army reserve and army reserve soldiers,” Duzzny said.