United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces.
U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Maj., left, instructs U.S. Navy Midshipman on proper body positioning during live-fire marksmanship training in June 2005
A military reserve force is a military organization whose members (reservists) have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve forces are generally considered part of a permanent standing body of armed forces, and allow a nation to reduce its peacetime military expenditures and maintain a force prepared for war. During peacetime, reservists typically serve part-time alongside a civilian job, although most reserve forces have a significant permanent full-time component as well. Reservists may be deployed for weeks or months-long missions during peacetime to support specific operations. During wartime, reservists may be kept in service for months or years at a time, although typically not for as long as active duty soldiers.
Troops of the Territorial Army of Belarus
Painting of reservists responding to the call at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War (1870)
Finnish conscripts swearing their military oath
U.S. Army Reserve private first class during the 2015 Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort Bragg