CBO Testimony: Statement of Robert D. Reischauer Director Congressional Budget Office before the Committee on Armed Services United States Senate

Today, about 2.1 million people are on active duty in the U.S. military. These people train full-time during peacetime. Roughly one-third are deployed on ships or in foreign countries in order to deter conflict and to be near potential trouble spots. Most of the rest are available on relatively short notice to help protect U.S. interests. Another 1.2 million people serve in the military selected or drilling reserves. They are organized into six components separate National Guard and Reserve components in the Army and Air Force, and Reserve components in the Navy and Marine Corps. Many of the personnel in the selected reserves have already served on active duty for a period. But most selected reserves do not work full time in the military. Instead, they are paid to train part time-usually during drill periods that take place at least 36 days a year. In the event of conflict, 200,000 of these selected reserves can be called to active duty for a limited period on the order of the President. All of them would be available in the event of a declared war. Another type of reserves that is relevant for this debate is the individual ready reserve IRR. Almost all of the 524,000 people who serve in the IRR have completed periods of active-duty service and, in some cases, have also served in the selected reserves. IRR personnel usually are not paid and do not train in peacetime. These nondrilling reserves could, however, be called to active duty in the event of a major war.