The Army Reserve's top general completed his tour on Wednesday, relinquishing his responsibilities during a ceremony at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Talley has served as the chief of the Army Reserve and commanding general of Army Reserve Command for the past four years. He is retiring after 34 years of military service.

Maj. Gen. Charles Luckey, the chief of staff for U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, has been nominated to succeed Talley. Luckey's nomination, which would include an appointment to lieutenant general, is still pending Senate confirmation.

Until then, Maj. Gen. David Conboy, the Army Reserve's deputy commanding general for operations, will serve as the interim commanding general.

Talley talked about the transformation of the component into an operational reserve force during his last media roundtable as chief of the Army Reserve.

"Since 2001, more than 310,000 Army Reserve citizen soldiers have been mobilized and deployed to every major combat zone across the globe — 62,000 in the last four years alone — creating a new paradigm of reliance on the Army Reserve as an essential partner in preventing conflict, shaping the strategic environment, and responding to operational contingencies at home and abroad," Talley said during the May 17 roundtable.

During his tenure, Talley implemented the Plan, Prepare and Provide readiness model that placed Army Reserve Engagement Cells and Teams into every Army service component command and combatant command around the world. These cells and teams are made up of technical and tactical experts who can provide direct staff planning and support to commandant commanders and help provide Reserve capabilities and units to meet commanders' needs around the world.

Talley also grew the Reserve's Private Public Partnership program, which builds partnerships with civilian companies and organizations and helps soldiers find employment or advance their careers in the private sector.

"Together, I believe Plan, Prepare and Provide and Private Public Partnerships are probably the two most important things I've done over the last four years," Talley said, adding that the Reserve today is "the most battle-tested and experienced in our nation's history."

As he prepares to retire, Talley said "the highest privilege and professional honor of my life has been to be a soldier."

About Michelle Tan

Michelle Tan is the editor of Army Times and Air Force Times. She has covered the military for Military Times since 2005, and has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Haiti, Gabon and the Horn of Africa.

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