New Army Reserve Ambassador Appointed to Virginia

Courtesy Photo | Maj. Gen. Rod Faulk, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, has confirmed the appointment by Lt. Gen. Jody J. Daniels, Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command, of Michael Buscher as a United States Army Reserve Ambassador for Virginia. The Army Reserve Ambassador Program was established in 1998 to promote awareness of the Army Reserve, its goals and objectives, and to serve as a vital bridge in our states/communities to further educate and garner support for the Army Reserve. (Courtesy Photo)  

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, UNITED STATES

08.27.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Shawn Morris 

99th Readiness Division

JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. – Maj. Gen. Rod Faulk, commanding general of the U.S. Army Reserve’s 99th Readiness Division, has confirmed the appointment by Lt. Gen. Jody J. Daniels, Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command, of Michael Buscher as a United States Army Reserve Ambassador for Virginia.

Buscher is the Chief Growth Officer for BigBear.ai, a leading provider of artificial intelligence and machine learning enabled technology to the government and private sector. He also serves on the Board of Directors for UAV Factory, a recognized leader in unmanned aerial systems and technology. Prior to this, he held a variety of senior leadership roles to include Vice President at Peraton, Vice President and Director of the National Intelligence Center at Huntington Ingalls Industries, and Chief Executive Officer at Vanguard Defense Industries.

Buscher retired from the Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2017 after 30 years of service. Additionally, he served nearly 10 years as a Senior Operations Officer at the Central Intelligence Agency while simultaneously continuing his service in the Army Reserve. He served with the U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, and with Task Force 145 in Baghdad, Iraq. He also served on two separate Joint Terrorism Task Forces, chaired the Gulf Coast Antiterrorism Taskforce, and held significant leadership roles domestically and in Iraq, Afghanistan, North Africa and Eastern Europe.

Buscher holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington. He is a member of the Association of the U.S. Army, Reserve Organization of America, Intelligence and National Security Alliance – Technology and Innovation Council, Harvard National Security and Law Association, State Department Overseas Security and Advisory Council, FBI InfraGard, Energy Security Council, OSS Society, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Executive Committee, Civil Air Patrol – Virginia Wing (Major), and National Defense Industrial Association (Life Member).

The Army Reserve Ambassador Program was established in 1998 to promote awareness of the Army Reserve, its goals and objectives, and to serve as a vital bridge in our states/communities to further educate and garner support for the Army Reserve. Army Regulation 140.1, Chapter 9 outlines the role, function and operational level of the USAR Ambassador. Ambassadors are a powerful means of message delivery to the American people.

The function of the Ambassador is similar to that of Civilian Aides to the Secretary of the Army, and carries a protocol status equivalent of a Major General that is a key means by which Ambassadors are able to effectively execute their responsibilities. Ambassadors are Special Government Employees who represent the Chief of the Army Reserve without salary, wages or related benefits.

Ambassadors provides Community Outreach assistance to Army Reserve members/families, other military personnel/families as needed, and provide feedback on plans, programs and needs to the Commander of the Army Reserve, the Regional Support Commander and to local USAR Commanders.

Additionally, Ambassadors build relationships and strive to improve the understanding and knowledge of the Army Reserve within the business and social sectors of communities across America. They help to educate the public, community leaders, and congressional staff offices about the capabilities and values of the Army Reserve and the Soldiers who live and work in their communities. They establish open lines of communication with the local communities; and they work to support recruiting efforts by assisting community and business leaders in recognizing that the Army Reserve strengthens the Soldiers, the community, and the Nation.

While not all ARAs have military experience, many are retired officers or senior non commissioned officers who wish to remain engaged in military affairs. Each state and territory has at least one ARA.

For more information, visit http://www.usar.army.mil/Featured/Ambassador-Program/

• Date Taken: 08.27.2021
• Date Posted: 08.27.2021 08:16
• Story ID: 404007
• Location: JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NJ, US