As the U.S. Navy Reserve celebrates its centennial through 2015, Navy Reserve officers and enlisted personnel are impacting the future as they contribute to the Navy Warfare Development Command mission to develop and integrate innovative solutions to complex naval warfare challenges.

"Navy Reservists are integral to the NWDC Team," said NWDC Commander Rear Adm. Scott Stearney. "NWDC's Reserve Det. provides this command a deep bench...supporting our core mission capabilities whenever called."

Navy Reserve NWDC Det. 101 sources personnel with specialized backgrounds to enable NWDC to surge military manpower to participate in limited duration events, increasing the command's interactions with the fleet, while permitting active component military staff to remain on other assigned tasks. Last year, the detachment provided the command with more than 3 man-years of support through normal monthly "weekend" drill days, reservists' annual active duty training, extra funded active duty days, individual involuntarily mobilization to active duty, and on voluntary active duty orders for specific missions.

Coordinating that reserve support is the job of NR NWDC Det. 101 Operations Officer Cmdr. Michael Araojo. "If NWDC is seeking someone with specific experience to participate in a working group, we put a call out to unit members. If we are not able to support a requirement with detachment personnel, we can tap into the entire Navy Reserve to obtain individuals with the right skills for the task," he said.

As a surface warfare officer, Navy reservist Lt. Cmdr. Sean Marvin participated recently as a member of a working group in the development of a new tactics, techniques, and procedures product. A Navy reservist since 2009, Marvin completed his active duty service with an assignment at NWDC in Newport, Rhode Island, before the command moved to Naval Station Norfolk. In addition to enjoying work with the Navy, Reserve duty allows him flexibility to contribute to the family income and raise children while his wife continues an active duty Navy career.

The effort the Navy Reserve makes to provide the right individual is a great benefit, said NWDC N8 Experimentation Action Officer Lt. Cmdr. Rob Haulenbeek following a recent war game. "In short, it was invaluable based primarily on the experience level and security clearance possessed by the reservist supporting our game. Without this specific reservist, we would have had to re-task an active duty officer to perform data collection," he said.

Fleet experimentation is an area where reserve support is very active. For example, support of Trident Warrior 2014 experimentation with land-based and shipboard reserve officers-in-charge, experimental initiative data collectors, and database feedback input totaled 214 man-days across the Navy Reserve.

Last year the detachment also helped NWDC in tasks ranging from providing physical security watchstander and command duty officer support to supporting doctrine review and reconciliation of Allied Tactical Publications, concept of operations, Navy TTP, and various other publications.

Araojo said a liaison from the detachment is associated with each NWDC Department to coordinate reserve support. He said there are ancillary benefits derived by employing Navy Reservist members. "In a way, bringing Navy Reservists onboard leverages expertise from the private sector. We bring experience from outside the Navy 'box'- a different way of seeing things," Araojo said. "I am happy to be supporting NWDC as my background as an analyst is a good fit with N5 lessons learned analysis."

As his annual active duty training Araojo assisted with post deployment brief (PDB) meta-analysis to help identify reoccurring themes, capability gaps, and best practices that were presented in PDBs from carrier strike groups, amphibious ready groups, and independent deployers. Cmdr. Elizabeth Allee continued the task when she arrived for her annual training.

"The Navy has done more for me than I could ever have done for the Navy," said Allee, who has served 12 years as a Navy reservist after six years on active duty and is now pursuing a post graduate degree. Not only has Navy service taken her to new places and introduced her to new people, she said, but the Navy Reserve continues to present opportunities to learn.

In addition to the future retirement benefit and flexible career options, Navy Reserve duty also keeps Sailors connected. "Reserve duty keeps me close to the fleet and the issues important to the Navy," Allee said. "Staying ready in case called upon is a big part of it, but annual training also keeps me close to the world that is part of my personal identity, and in that respect NWDC is a great place to serve."

For more news from Navy Warfare Development Command, visit www.navy.mil/.