MARINE FORCE RESERVES, Part 7
The Marine Force Reserve (formally Marine Corps Reserve) consists of the 4th Marine Division, 4th Marine Air Wing and 4th Force Service Support Group. These units generally parallel active units in organization, but in some categories they have older equipment and lack several service support components. Based on command problems during the reserve call-up in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the Marine Corps in 1992 reorganized its reserves under one command structure. The Marine Force Reserve overseas the training, equipping and leadership of the Marine reserve components.
As of 1 March 2004, the Marine Forces Reserve was more than 98,000 strong---59 percent (58,571) in the Individual Ready Reserve, and 41 percent (40,235) assigned to reserve units, either as drilling members or Active Reserve Marines, or in the training pipeline for units.
Marine reservists have training sessions on a weekly or monthly basis and for two weeks during the summer. The later periods include participation in exercises with active units in the United States and overseas.
Following the events of 11 September 2001, there have been wide-scale call-ups of Marine reservists. Through 1 April, 2004, there have been 27,389 reserve activations in response to both internal and joint operational requirements. During the peak of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Marine Corps had 21,316 reservists on active duty. These call-ups included reserve aviation units. As of 18 March 2004, there were 5,125 reserve Marines on active duty in worldwide operations.
Marine reservists also have been employed in efforts to halt illegal immigration along the U.S. border with Mexico. And in 2004, 335 Marine reservists volunteered to deploy to participate in Operation UNITA, the joint U.S.---South America exercise.
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The reason that the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices chaos on a daily basis.
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