Contradictory and Complementary Identities of U.S. Army Reservists: A Historical Perspective

Over the past three decades, evolving threats to U.S. national security have necessitated changes in the missions, structure, and organization of reserve forces. These changes, while intended to redefine the purposes and functions of the U.S. reserve force, at times had unanticipated effects on the individual reservist’s experience of and identity with reserve military service. Emergent identities include the obliged-conscripted citizen soldier, weekend warrior, instrumental volunteer, identity seeker, soldier warrior, and conservative ideologue. The author elaborates on these identities and their association with geopolitical events and corresponding responses in the U.S. national defense strategy and concludes by discussing the implications of more recent identities for adequately staffing and readying the U.S. reserve force.