Navy Reserve Celebrates 106 Years of Warfighting Readiness, Anytime, Anywhere
03 March 2021
Fellow shipmates, we celebrate today our Navy Reserve’s 106th birthday. Since 1915, our Navy Reserve has provided strategic depth and operational capabilities to our Navy and Marine Corps team and the Joint Force.
The Naval Reserve Force was founded to ready America for potential involvement in World War I. By the end of the war, the number Naval Reservists serving the nation grew to 245,789, representing 54 percent of the total U.S. Naval Force at the time. By the end of World War II, that number was three million, accounting for 84 percent of all Sailors serving at the time.
Over the course of 106 years, Navy Reserve Sailors have mobilized to support the nation in every global conflict. Last year alone, we executed nearly 6,000 total mobilizations, the most since the 2010 surge in Afghanistan. Nearly 3,000 personnel mobilized in response to COVID-19 pandemic relief missions and another 1,300 provided critical maintenance to our aircraft carriers and submarines in the public shipyards. We were where we needed to be, when we were needed.
Our Ready Reserve Force of nearly 110,000 provides the Reserve combat power and critical strategic depth our nation requires to prevail in today’s era of Great Power Competition. Every day, Navy Reserve Sailors are providing fully integrated support to the Fleet and Combatant Commanders in every theatre on the globe.
Our Sailors are trained, educated and ready to defeat any adversary. With the Navy Reserve Fighting Instructions 2020 as our guide, we will build on our past successes as we focus on the challenges ahead. Generating and delivering warfighting readiness is our common goal. Our nation needs us to be ready.
Happy Birthday Reserve Force! I’m counting on you.
Now, let’s get busy.
Vice Adm. John Mustin
Chief of Navy Reserve
Commander, Navy Reserve Force
(U.S. Navy video by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Arthurgwain L. Marquez)