WHEREAS, Reserve medical officers were the founding members of the U.S. Army Reserve, who
have proved their worth on the battlefields and around the globe ever since; and

WHEREAS, Reserve and Guard medical officers have obtained the necessary professional skills
through years of training and practice; and

WHEREAS, the pool of trained medical officers is relatively small; and

WHEREAS, in the previous two decades of conflict, needed medical officers were called out of
retirement to provide necessary medical care to the force; and

WHEREAS, today Reserve and Guard medical officers are mandatorily retired at age sixty eight;
and

WHEREAS, in order to provide the necessary number of currently trained and ready military
medical officers to meet the needs of the Reserve Components during current and future
conflicts.