• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.167-174
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• 2024

While reserve forces play a critical role in modern warfare, the primary focus on reserve forces has been on men. Women's reserve forces have received little attention. The purpose of this study is to examine the need to increase the number of women in the reserve and the impact of increasing the number of women on active duty. The reasons for the need for women in the military are the decrease in the resources of the reserve force as well as the regular force due to the decrease in population, the development of fields where women can perform missions with advantages due to the changing patterns of warfare, and the changing situation of gender equality and the increasing role of women in society. However, it is currently optional, not mandatory, for female veterans to join the Reserve. The number of cadres entering the reserve may decrease as the number of active-duty women increases. Using a 2018 estimate of 13.9 percent of women transitioning to the Reserve, 194 of the 1,402 projected transitioning women in '27 will transition to the Reserve. This leaves an estimated shortfall of 1,208 reserve officers and NCO. This suggests that the policy of increasing the number of women on active duty could have a significant impact on the reserve force in the future, and further policy research is needed.