In this edition of Army Reserve Today:

Army Reserve Paratroopers drop onto Sicily Drop Zone with presents from Santa during Operation Toy Drop, provide health care to the needy in Arkansas, and much more.

This edition features stories on ARFORGEN, sustainability, G.E.'s 2011 Sustainable Innovators, aircraft rescue firefighting in Kandahar and confined spaces training. Hosted by Spc. Katie Summerhill. Available in high definition.

In this episode of Army Reserve today

It's the largest toy collection and donation program in the Army

Reserve, and it's conducted each year by the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and

Psychological Operations Command (Airborne). The Randy Oler Memorial

Operation Toy Drop is in it's 15th year, and has provided tens of thousands of toys for children who wouldn't have a Merry Christmas otherwise since he established the program in 1998.

Hurricane Sandy devastated the U.S. east coast, and it provided the Army

Reserve its first chance to provide relief effort support under provisions

of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act since it was signed into law by the President. Responding to natural disasters has traditionally

belonged to the National Guard, but it's a mission the operational Army Reserve will be heavily involved with from now on.

The Department of the Army conducted the 2012 Army Best Warrior

Competition at Fort Lee, VA, in October. Two Army Reserve Soldiers

competed against the best in the Army in a grueling four-day competition for the honors of being chosen as the Soldier and NCO of the Year. They didn't win, but they did prove they have what it takes to compete at the national level.

Soldiers training in the Combat Support Training Execise (CSTX) at

Fort Hunter Liggett got the chance this summer to learn how to support medical evacuations by C-130 Hercules aircraft and civilian life flight

helicopters.

An Army Reserve unit is one of only six asphalt paving units in the

Army, and this summer they got the chance to show they were up to the

mission of smoothing out the ride on Fort Hunter Liggett's roads.

Army Reserve engineer units proved they had what it takes to build bridges under fire at Fort Chaffee, AR, this summer during River Assault 2012.

Keeping Soldiers fueled for the fight by providing world-class meals during an Army Reserve exercise in Arkansas focused their efforts on the mission at hand, thanks to professional food service Soldiers running the kitchens.

Soldiers from a Washington based Army Reserve combat support hospital

deployed to Botswana in Africa to participated in Southern Accord 2012, a joint exercise conducted with that nation's armed forces.

Also available in high definition

U.S. Army Col. Peter Demos, member of the U.S> Forces Korea Assessment Team, speaks to U.S. Army Sgt. Karri Wheeler, an American Forces Network Humphreys broadcaster “DJ Caprittarius”, during a radio interview on Camp Humphreys, South Korea, Aug. 28, 2024. Demos talked about their family’s military history and how it strengthened their relationship as a father and son. (DOD video by Hana Pong)

Members of the Tomah High School Show Choir from Tomah, Wis., sing a song as part of the 2024 Fort McCoy Army Reserve Birthday Celebration held April 23, 2024, at McCoy's Community Center at Fort McCoy, Wis. The award-winning choir members sang several songs for the crowd of people attending the event. The celebration observed the Army Reserve's 116th Birthday and was part of the April Fort McCoy Triad Nights event as well. (U.S. Army Video by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)

U.S. Army Reserve Drill Sergeant, Drill Sergeant Candidates and Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment, 98th Training Division under the 108th Training Command taking part in the battalion's Freedom Ride competition at the Devens Reserve Forces Training Area, Massachusetts 5-7 April, 2019. Teams of Soldiers tested their skills against each other in this field training environment to better hone their skills prior to their mission of training new recruits at Fort Benning, Georgia, later this year.

In this episode of Army Reserve Today: Ninety Army Reserve Soldiers from commands throughout the United States paraticipated in 57th Presidential inauguration in the nation’s capitol; Army Reserve military police in Afghanistan work hard to keep things safe in a very dangerous place.; One Army Reserve Command deployed in Afghanistan trains its Soldiers how to cope with the unexpected.; A little know Army Reserve command in Virginia plays a big role in keeping Soldiers trained and ready for deployment.; This small Soldier is waging a big fight with a serious disease, but he wants more than anything else to be a part of the Army Reserve.; An Army Reserve unit from Birmingham, AL, got a chance to help a special group of veterans experience a trip to special place.; It may be one of the largest video games in the world, but it’s saving the Army Reserve money and preparing Soldiers to deploy.; A California Army Reserve command opens the doors of a new center, and invites the local communities to take a look at who their military neighbors are.; An Army Reserve chemical brigade conducts a command post exercise that helps their Soldiers stay ready to go.; It’s not exactly a trip to the laundromat, but it is the way the Army Reserve helps Soldiers keep their uniforms clean in a field environment.; One Nebraska Army Reserve unit is in the running for honors as the best field feeding facility.; “The boys in the band” entertain their fellow Soldiers in one of the roughest duty destinations in the world and Florida based Army Reserve medics show a college crowd modern combatives. Also available in High Definition.

This video highlights the efforts at Fort McCoy to continue to improve inclusion for all personnel at the installation. Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Michael D. Poss, Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Mantha, and Maj. Eddie Woody, are featured. (U.S. Army Video by Cedar Wolf/Fort McCoy Multimedia-Visual Information Office.)

Staff Sgt. Mark Burns, an assistant instructor supporting Soldiers at Fort McCoy, Wis., for training in the Regional Training Site-Maintenance Wheeled-Vehicle Recovery Operations Course, explains how students work together to winch out a mired military vehicle during training Oct. 23, 2020, at the installation Vehicle Recovery Site on North Post. The 17-day course covers operation and maintenance of recovery vehicles and use of standard procedures to rig and recover military wheeled vehicles. Related training tasks include oxygen and acetylene gas welding; boom and hoist operations; winch operations; and recovery of mired, overturned, and disabled vehicles. RTS-Maintenance holds several sessions of the Wheeled-Vehicle Operations Course each year and trains Soldiers from both active- and reserve-component forces. (U.S. Army Video by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)

Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Michael D. Poss provides opening remarks during the Patriot Day Remembrance Ceremony on Sept. 11, 2020, at Veterans Memorial Plaza at the historic Commemorative Area at Fort McCoy, Wis. About 20 people participated in the socially distanced ceremony recalling the 19th anniversary of the attacks. The leaders participating in the ceremony included Poss; Garrison Deputy Commander Lt. Col. Alexander Carter; Deputy to the Garrison Commander Brad Stewart; Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Mantha, garrison command sergeant major; Maj. Eddie Woody, commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Garrison Fort McCoy; and Garrison Chaplain (Maj.) Robert Rand. (U.S. Army video by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)