Naval Reserve Association Naval Reserve Association

Active DutyProgramsWhom Do We Represent?CDR Matt DuboisNational VP for Active Duty ProgramsThe United States finds itselfin a new strategic era andfaces a security environmentcomposed of numerous anddiverse challenges thatthreaten our nationalinterests. There are several national, military,and Navy strategies at work that willguide us during this extremely challengingtime in our nation’s history. In thebackground of all this, the Navy ReserveFull-Time Support (FTS) community ispatiently waiting for a clear vision of thecommunity’s future. There are flag polestudies, Active Reserve Integration, theNavy Operations Concept, the GlobalMaritime Partnership, the Navy Enterprisesystem, Sea Warrior, and a myriad of otherguiding principles that will point us in theright direction; but, ultimately, decisionsmust be made on how we will get there.Similarly, the Naval Reserve Association(NRA) finds itself in a new strategic era. Weappear to be struggling for membership. Weseem to get less than the desired turnout atour conferences. I think we need to askourselves, whom do we represent. Ourrecent inclusion of the enlisted Sailors waslong overdue. The FTS membership numberis far lower than I would have expected priorto taking this position.Full disclosure: As an Army brat, I wastaught at a very young age that if your areaof the military has a professional organization,you should join. It’s the Army way. Almostall, if not all, Army soldiers are membersof the AUSA. The Navy’s culture is a bitdifferent, but I am curious why more FTSare not members of the Naval ReserveAssociation, their professional organization.Whom do we represent? Do we as anAssociation seek FTS and enlistedmembership purely to bolster our membershipnumbers or do we really represent theentire Navy Reserve?I have asked the FTS members a fewquestions to find out what motivates themto be members. The answers I got back werevery insightful. First, very few FTS aremembers because they think the Associationhas their unique best interests at heart. A fewjoined because they assumed it was “thething to do.” A few more wanted to know asmuch as they could about Selected Reserveissues so they could better serve those, theirconstituency. The other most common reasonwas that they were “motivated” by a unitleader or other influential figure. Most feelthat MOAA provides the FTS all theinformation and service they need. Are weOK with that? I’m certainly not. Most feelthere is little or no value in attending an NRAconference. Are we OK with that? I’m not.Are we truly a Navy Reserve associationserving the entire spectrum of the NavyReserve? Where do the FTS fit in? Wheredo the enlisted Sailors fit in? Does theanswer change in an OperationalReserve? What do we think the future ofthe Navy Reserve FTS should be as acommunity? Should we take a position onthe subject? Should the Navy’s answer be theAssociation’s answer?I postulate that if the Association doesnothing, our answer will be given to us viaFTS attrition . . . in the Navy and in theAssociation. FTS presence directly impactsreadiness and is required to transitionefficiently and effectively from peacetimeto war-time posture. FTS equals increasedreadiness, agility, and responsiveness.FTS are in the business of taking care ofadministrative, maintenance, and planningfunctions to enable maximum training forthe unit and Sailors during training periods.They provide enormous bang for the buck.They should continue to be the best andbrightest, “franchise players” at the top oftheir game, who can lead, manage, andoperate. I’m not advocating an FTS jobsprogram. If there is a more efficient andeffective way to tend to the day-to-day needsof our drilling population, then let’s do it.Until that day, let’s not lose sight of why atalented FTS community is important to ourNavy.As an Association, we need to think bigger,younger, and more diverse than we currentlydo or we will never be the Association ofchoice for many very hard working, valuablemembers of the Navy Reserve. We need toprovide value to the membership, currentand future, that bonds us together with thepurpose of bettering our Navy Reserve, notjust our retirement benefits. If we do that,membership will never be a problem.Guest Column – Cont’d. from page 7* Reinforce eroding alliances, eschewinclinations to take China’s rhetorical sideagainst Japan or against Taiwan, reinvigorateties in Southeast Asia, build on new ties withIndia, and reengage the Atlantic Communityin dialogue on shared global interests andvalues of human dignity and freedom.Conclusion. The Asian perception that theUnited States is a declining Pacific powermay or may not prove prescient, but China isclearly emerging as the preeminent power inthe Asia–Pacific. Faced with this reality, anengaged America can strengthen the currentrobust transpacific alignment, knittingtogether the democracies of the Americas andthe Western Pacific Rim, or a disengagedAmerica can allow a Sino-centric continentalaxis to crystallize as the Association ofSoutheast Asian Nations, Taiwan, Korea, andeventually Japan, Australia, and South andCentral Asia bandwagon with China.The choices made in Washington on howto manage the emerging Chinese superpowerwill determine not only the direction ofAsian democracy, but also the prospects forglobal political and economic freedoms inthe 21 st century.22 NRA NEWS/SEPTEMBER 2007