The Reserve Forces Policy Board (RFPB) tasked the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) to conduct an operational assessment of reserve
component (RC) forces in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), from the years 2003 to 2011. IDA was to identify data that could be used
to quantify RC performance, and where comparative analyses could be conducted. Enterprise-wide performance data was not captured by the
Department of Defense (DOD), yet IDA was able to analyze data associated with mobility, aviation strike, and significant activities reports
(SIGACTs), in addition to individual deployment, casualty, and mishap data. Analysis of these data depict no sizeable differences between
active and reserve component forces, and highlight the shared burden and risk of RC forces in the prosecution of OIF.