The Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Community: Toxic Leadership, Mental Trauma, and Treatment Barriers

The USAR AGR program is known as one of the U.S. Army's best kept secrets due to the added benefits of being on active duty orders while performing duties for USAR units. Upon entry into the program, AGRs are expected to receive on-the-job training from their predecessors or superiors but in some cases this does not happen. The AGR program is a very unique program, but very little is published about the experiences that AGR Soldiers can expect during their tenure. This research paper will discuss the culture and biases associated with being an AGR Soldier from the point of view of active AGR Soldiers. This point of view is extremely important, because AGRs are in a category of their own separate from active duty and reserve personnel. Most publications reflect on the issues that either active duty and reserve personnel go through, but very few focus on the full-time staff keeping those USAR units running smoothly. In the following sections, this research paper will explore traits of toxic behaviors, signs of mental trauma and secondary traumatic stress, impacts on families and morale, solutions for dealing with toxic leaders, and methods for encouraging ethical leadership and behavior in the workplace.