In the future, the U.S. Army Reserve will call upon the spirit of Paul Revere—not on horseback, but in the form of unmanned systems. These drone brigades will conduct reconnaissance, strike targets, resupply isolated units, and protect power projection infrastructure. They will be citizen soldiers for a digital age, mixing tradition with transformation in contact. Since the founding of the republic and Paul Revere’s famed ride that sparked the raid on Fort William and Mary, citizen soldiers have played a critical role in defending American interests. In fact, Americans had militia charters and were a people numerous and armed, issuing letters of marquee well before the Declaration of Independence. In the future, the U.S. Army Reserve will need to call on the best of tradition and field new unmanned brigades capable of missions ranging from intelligence collection to resupply, medical evacuation, and close combat—all missions performed by drones in Ukraine. In addition to the Reserve’s focus on combat support and combat service support, it can add new unmanned combat arms formations that also provide low-cost test beds for experimentation. This model will align proven battlefield technology—multi-mission drones—with the enduring strategic function of the Reserve: scaling national power in a time of crisis.
Reimagining Paul Revere: Building Drone Brigades in the U.S. Army Reserve
