The secretary of defense announced today a policy change in the way the department will manage reserve component forces.

The first aspect of the policy change will involve the way the department manages deployments of reserve forces. Currently, reserve deployments are managed on an individual basis. In the future deployments will be managed on unit basis, allowing for greater unit cohesion and predictability for training and deployments.

The second aspect of the policy change addresses the maximum mobilization time for members of the reserve forces. Currently, the policy is for a maximum mobilization time of 18 months. The department will reduce the maximum mobilization timeframe to one year.

Third, the policy objective for involuntary mobilization of Guard/ Reserve units will remain a one-year mobilized to five-year demobilized ratio. However, today's global demands will require a number of selected Guard/ Reserve units to be remobilized sooner than the current policy goal. That deployment to demobilization ratio remains the goal of the department, as does the active component's ratio goal of one year of deployment to two years at home station.

The fourth aspect of the policy change will establish a new program to compensate individuals in both active and reserve component forces that are required to mobilize or deploy earlier than established policy goals of deployment to home station ratio times. It will also involve those service members who are required to extend beyond established rotation policy goals.

The final aspect of the policy change will direct commands to review their administration of the hardship waiver program, to ensure that they have properly taken into account exceptional circumstances facing military families of deployed service members.

These policy changes will better allow the department to posture itself for success in the uncertain environment in which it currently operates, and well into the future.