Facing growing threats and a resurgent adversary in the Indo-Pacific, reserve forces have a critical role in enabling success and deterrence in the region, a panel of leaders said May 15 during the Association of the U.S. Army’s LANPAC Symposium and Exposition in Honolulu.

“We need to harness the entire surface area of all our militaries out there in the Indo-Pacific,” said Australian Army Maj. Gen. Scott Winter, who is serving as deputy commanding general for strategy and plans at U.S. Army Pacific. “Regular, reserve, National Guard in the case of the United States, we need to find innovative new ways to ensure we can bring everyone into the fight.”

Maj. Gen. Joseph Lestorti, who works in the Office of the Chief of Army Reserve, emphasized that, regardless of component, “We’re one Army.”

“When I put my uniform on, it says ‘United States Army. … We’re a total Army,” he said. When he served in Joint Special Operations Command, “no one cared that I was a reservist,” he said. “They cared that I showed up and could do my job well. The idea of the Army Reserve is a noble one, but we must view ourselves as a total Army if we’re to fight in this sphere.”

Each allied and partner army has a role to play in the larger effort, said Maj. Gen. Ramon Zagala, Reserve Command commander for the Philippine Army. As an example, a smaller force like that of the Philippine Army can provide an asymmetric capability, he said. “It’s very vital that there’s synergy between regular and reserve forces,” he said.

For almost 50 years, the Philippines has been embroiled in an insurgency fight that has relied primarily on its regular forces. The decision allowed reserve forces to continue their civilian jobs and contribute to the economy, but it also meant the force was put on the backburner, Zagala said.

“We know the value of the reserve force in the Indo-Pacific is very important,” he said. “And we’re trying to catch up with our reserve forces … to ensure that they are ready to fight.”

As the Philippine Army integrates more of its reserve forces into exercises with allies and partners in the region, the citizen-soldiers get valuable opportunities to see their friends, Zagala said. “We’re facing a very powerful adversary,” he said. “We need powerful friends who will come to our aid. During exercises, that’s a big demonstration already, not only for our populace but to our adversary.”

Maj. Gen. Gavin Gardner, commanding general of the 8th Theater Sustainment Command, reinforced the importance of reserve forces. “As one of U.S. Army Pacific’s enabling commands, … the preponderance of the formation comes from the total Army,” he said. “There will be nothing that we’ll achieve in this theater without the total Army.”