Chief of Army Reserve Lt. Gen. Charles D. Luckey says his soldiers, their families and employers may feel the impact of having a more-ready force.

The “urgent press to build sufficient readiness to meet the demands of a large and sudden contingency operation, driven by this new threat paradigm we face today, has the potential to increase stress on our Army Reserve soldiers, families and employers,” Luckey told the Senate Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on defense. “We acknowledge and accept the daunting challenge it creates, which is to be ready enough to be relevant, but not so ready that our soldiers cannot keep superb civilian employment and maintain healthy, rewarding and balanced lives with their families.”

“This is no small order, but this is no ordinary team,” Luckey said, describing efforts by leaders at every level to “help mitigate increased pressure on the soldier,” reorient programs that support families and continue talking with employers about the importance of Reserve missions.

Luckey will speak April 19 at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army’s Institute of Land Warfare. His address, scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Eastern, will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. Details about the event are available here: https://www.ausa.org/events/institute-land-warfare-breakfast-series-luckey

About 20 percent of the Army’s organized units, about half its maneuver support and a quarter of the mobilization base expansion capacity reside in the Army Reserve. Since 2001, more than 310,000 Army Reserve soldiers have been mobilized and deployed, and about 15,000 are deployed today on various missions around the globe.

“Without doubt, today’s Army Reserve is the most combat-tested and experienced force in its history, but to remain ready to win in an environment that grows daily in lethality and complexity, we must build the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal federal reserve force in the nation’s history,” Luckey said.