What percent of active duty personnel are reserve currencies?

• A. 50%
• B. 65%
• C. 72%
• D. 83%

Answer: (D)

Think of the force as two parts: the full-time, on-duty personnel and the reserve components that come in as needed. The active-duty side makes up the large majority of total manpower, while the reserve components are smaller but ready for mobilization. In modern force structure, about 83 percent of the total DoD manpower is active duty, with the remaining roughly 17 percent in reserve components. So 83 percent best describes the share of the total force that is active duty. The other percentages would imply a much larger reserve component than is typical, which is why 83 percent is the right overall balance to remember.