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Chief of the United States Army Reserve
Seal of the U.S. Army Reserve
Flag of the U.S. Army Reserve
Incumbent Lieutenant General Robert Harter since 1 August 2024
Office of the Chief of Army Reserve Army Staff
Type	Reserve component commander
Abbreviation	CAR
Member of	Reserve Forces Policy Board
Reports to	Secretary of the Army (as Chief of Army Reserve) Chief of Staff of the United States Army (as Chief of Army Reserve) Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command (as Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command)
Seat	Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, Fort Liberty, North Carolina
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	4 years Renewable
Constituting instrument	10 U.S.C. § 7038
Formation	12 June 1923
First holder	MAJ Charles F. Thompson (as Chief of Reserve Section, G-2) MG Frederick M. Warren (as Chief of Army Reserve)
Deputy	Deputy Chief of Army Reserve
Website	www.usar.army.mil

The chief of the United States Army Reserve (CAR) is the commanding officer of the United States Army Reserve, the reserve component of the United States Army. As the highest-ranking officer in the United States Army Reserve, the CAR is the principal advisor to the chief of staff of the Army on all matters relating to the Army Reserve, and is responsible for the personnel, operations and construction budgets of the Army Reserve, subject to the supervision and control of the secretary of the Army. Dual-hatted as Commanding General, United States Army Reserve Command, the CAR is also responsible to the Commanding General, United States Army Forces Command for the oversight of operationally-deployed Army Reserve forces.

By statute, the CAR is a member of the Army Staff, as well as one of five Army Reserve members of the Reserve Forces Policy Board. The CAR is also designated by statute as the executive agent for the Full Time Support Program, a personnel program under the Department of Defense. The Chief's headquarters is the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, housed at Fort Liberty, North Carolina.

The 34th chief of the Army Reserve is Lieutenant General Robert Harter.

Appointment and rank

As an officer's appointment in the United States Armed Forces, the nominee requires confirmation by the United States Senate by majority vote. The chief of Army Reserve is nominated for appointment by the president of the United States with the advice and/or recommendation of the secretary of defense and secretary of the Army, as well as a determination from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the nominee has had significant joint duty experience.

Until 1968, the office of the chief of the Army Reserve was not set by statute due to concerns that institutionalizing a commander of Army reserve forces would separate it from the Regular Army, much like how the Militia Act of 1903 had rendered the early National Guard independent from the Regular Army. On 17 May 1968, Major General William J. Sutton was confirmed by the Senate in accordance with the passage of Pub. L. 90–168, thus making Sutton the first statutory Chief of Army Reserve.

The CAR's rank was initially that of major in 1923, and was successively raised to colonel in 1924, to brigadier general in 1933 (making Charles D. Herron the first CAR to hold general officer rank), and to major general in 1950. The CAR's rank, alongside those of reserve leaders of other service branches, was raised to lieutenant general in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2001, making Thomas J. Plewes, then chief of Army Reserve, the first to hold three-star rank. The statutory requirement for the CAR to hold the rank of lieutenant general was repealed in the 2017 NDAA, but the officeholder is still appointed to that rank.

The CAR serves for a four-year term, which can be renewed once for a total of eight years.

List of officeholders

No.	Chief		Term
	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Term length
Chief of the Reserve Section, G-2
1		Thompson, Charles F.Major Charles F. Thompson (1882–1954)	12 June 1923	1 July 1923	19 days
2		Boswell, Walter O.Major Walter O. Boswell (1877–1953)	2 July 1923	31 July 1924	1 year, 29 days
Chief of the Reserve Branch, G-2
3		Potts, DouglasColonel Douglas Potts (1878–1940)	1 August 1924	30 December 1925	1 year, 151 days
4		Pegram, John CargillLieutenant Colonel John C. Pegram (1881–1972)	31 December 1925	14 August 1926	226 days
5		Ryons, Frederick ButterfieldLieutenant Colonel Frederick B. Ryons (1877–1946)	15 August 1926	30 September 1926	46 days
6		Ford, Stanley HamerColonel Stanley H. Ford (1877–1961)	1 October 1926	10 February 1927	132 days
Executive for Reserve Affairs
7		Stone, David Lamme Jr.Colonel David L. Stone Jr. (1876–1959)	5 March 1927	30 June 1930	3 years, 117 days
8		Herron, Charles DouglasBrigadier General Charles D. Herron (1877–1977)	1 July 1930	30 June 1935	4 years, 364 days
9		Hartshorn, Edwin Simpson Jr.Brigadier General Edwin S. Hartshorn Sr. (1874–1963)	1 July 1935	15 September 1938	3 years, 76 days
10		Thompson, Charles F.Brigadier General Charles F. Thompson (1882–1954)	16 September 1938	9 June 1940	1 year, 267 days
11		Hester, John HutchisonBrigadier General John H. Hester (1886–1976)	21 June 1940	23 March 1941	275 days
Executive for Reserve and ROTC Affairs
-		Lowe, Frank E.Colonel Frank E. Lowe (1885–1968) Acting	24 March 1941	4 June 1941	72 days
12		Lowe, Frank EdwardBrigadier General Frank E. Lowe (1885–1968)	5 June 1941	10 August 1942	1 year, 66 days
13		Smith, Edward WhiteBrigadier General Edward W. Smith (1894–1966)	16 September 1942	14 October 1945	3 years, 28 days
14		Bres, Edward S.Brigadier General Edward S. Bres (1888–1967)	15 October 1945	30 November 1947	2 years, 46 days
15		Westover, WendellBrigadier General Wendell Westover (1895–1960)	1 December 1947	14 November 1949	1 year, 348 days
16		Cress, James BellMajor General James B. Cress (1889–1967)	1 January 1950	31 January 1951	1 year, 30 days
17		Milton, Hugh Meglone IIIMajor General Hugh M. Milton II (1897–1987)	24 February 1951	18 November 1953	2 years, 267 days
18		Lindeman, Philip Ferdinand Jr.Major General Philip F. Lindeman Jr. (1909–1988)	November 1953	6 December 1954	1 year, 17 days
Chief, Army Reserve and ROTC Affairs
18		Lindeman, Philip Ferdinand Jr.Major General Philip F. Lindeman Jr. (1909–1988)	7 December 1954	31 July 1957	2 years, 236 days
19		Palladino, Ralph A.Major General Ralph A. Palladino (1904–1981)	1 August 1957	31 May 1959	1 year, 303 days
20		Warren, Frederick M.Major General Frederick M. Warren (1903–1986)	1 September 1959	12 February 1963	3 years, 164 days
Chief, Army Reserve
20		Warren, Frederick M.Major General Frederick M. Warren (1903–1986)	13 February 1963	31 August 1963	199 days
21		Sutton, William J.Major General William J. Sutton (1908–1972)	1 September 1963	31 May 1971	7 years, 272 days
22		Roberts, James Milnor Jr.Major General J. Milnor Roberts Jr. (1918–2009)	1 June 1971	31 May 1975	3 years, 364 days
23		Mohr, HenryMajor General Henry Mohr (1919–1997)	1 June 1975	31 May 1979	3 years, 364 days
24		Berkman, William R.Major General William R. Berkman (1929–2014)	1 June 1979	31 July 1986	7 years, 60 days
-		Mott, Harry James IIIBrigadier General Harry J. Mott III (1929–2023) Acting	1 August 1986	30 November 1986	121 days
25		Ward, William Francis Jr.Major General William F. Ward Jr. (1928–2018)	1 December 1986	1 October 1990	3 years, 304 days
Chief, Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command
25		Ward, William Francis Jr.Major General William F. Ward Jr. (1928–2018)	1 October 1990	31 July 1991	303 days
26		Sandler, Roger WarrenMajor General Roger W. Sandler (born 1934)	1 August 1991	31 January 1994	2 years, 183 days
27		Baratz, MaxMajor General Max Baratz (born 1934)	1 February 1994	24 May 1998	4 years, 112 days
28		Plewes, Thomas JeffreyLieutenant General Thomas J. Plewes (born 1940)	25 May 1998	24 May 2002	3 years, 364 days
29		Helmly, James RonaldLieutenant General James R. Helmly (born 1947)	25 May 2002	25 May 2006	4 years, 0 days
30		Stultz, Jack C. Jr.Lieutenant General Jack C. Stultz Jr. (born 1952)	25 May 2006	9 June 2012	6 years, 15 days
31		Talley, Jeffrey W.Lieutenant General Jeffrey W. Talley (born 1959)	9 June 2012	1 June 2016	4 years, 22 days
-		Smith, Michael R.Major General Michael R. Smith Acting	1 June 2016	30 June 2016	29 days
32		Luckey, Charles DanaLieutenant General Charles D. Luckey (born 1955)	30 June 2016	2 July 2020	4 years, 2 days
-		O'Guinn, Michael C.Major General Michael C. O'Guinn Acting	3 July 2020	28 July 2020	25 days
33		Daniels, Jody J.Lieutenant General Jody J. Daniels (born c. 1962)	28 July 2020	30 July 2024	4 years, 2 days
-		Kotulich, DeborahMajor General Deborah Kotulich (born 1968) Acting	30 July 2024	1 August 2024	2 days
34		Harter, RobertLieutenant General Robert Harter (born c. 1970)	1 August 2024	Incumbent	175 days

See also

• Office of the Chief of Army Reserve
• Chief of the National Guard Bureau
• Vice Chief of the National Guard Bureau
• Army National Guard

References

1. "Appendix C - Military and Army Acronyms, Abbreviations and Terms" (PDF). University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
2. This does not include the director of the Army National Guard, who also reports to the chief of the National Guard Bureau and secretary of the Army for Army National Guard matters.
3. ^ 10 U.S.C. § 7038 - Office of Army Reserve: appointment of Chief.
4. "WHO WE ARE-U.S. Army Reserve Command". U.S. Army Reserve Command.
5. 10 U.S.C. § 7031 - The Army Staff: function; composition.
6. 10 U.S.C. § 10302 - Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee.
7. "A History of the Office of Chief, Army Reserve" (PDF). Fort Bragg, NC: Office of the Chief of Army Reserve. April 2013. p. 14.
8. "A History of the Office of Chief, Army Reserve" (PDF). Fort Bragg, NC: Office of the Chief of Army Reserve. April 2013. p. 14.
9. National Defense Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2001 (PDF) (506). 30 October 2000.
10. "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017" (PDF). Government Publishing Office.
11. Hilkert 2004, pp. 309–311.

Sources

• Hilkert, David E. (December 2004). Chiefs of the Army Reserve: Biographical Sketches of the United States Army Reserve's Senior Officers. Fort McPherson, GA: Office of Army Reserve History, U.S. Army Reserve Command.
• "A History of the Office of Chief, Army Reserve" (PDF). Fort Bragg, NC: Office of the Chief of Army Reserve. April 2013.

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