Identification

The term "active reserve" may sound oxymoronic, but it refers to a unique component of the Marine Corps Reserve. The Marine Corps Active Reserve--AR--is comprised of individuals serving in the Marines Corps Reserve as full-time employees, supporting the reserve in a variety of ways.

Function

Active reservists work as active duty support personnel. There are 150 military occupational specialties in which active reservists can serve. They work in billets ranging from data systems and aircraft maintenance to drill instructors. They play an import part in the reserve component inspector-instructor system.

Size

The U.S. Marines Corps Active Reserve is a small component of the Marine Corps Reserve, comprised of about 2,400 women and men.

Location

Active reservists serve at sites all over the country, often close to their homes. They're at Marine Corps bases and stations, reserve home training centers, the Pentagon, and Headquarters Marine Corps. There are also active reserve duty stations overseas.

Significance

The active reserve was established so that reservists would not be needed to go on active duty performing administrative services for three or four years. In 2008, the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves recommended that the active reserve "should be merged into the active component with no loss to the Marine Corps Reserve in total full-time support billets." Congress and the secretary of defense have not acted on the commission's recommendation.

Source:

GlobalSecurity.org: The Marine Corps Reserve and its Future

U.S. Marine Corps: Manpower & Reserve Affairs

cngr.gov: Transforming the National Guard and Reserves into a 21st-Century Operational Force

More Information:

Marine Corps Manual

The Official Site of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve

Active Reserve Overview