This history of the activities of the Sixth US Army from September 1981 through October 1982 is a radical departure from previous histories. Rather than subdividing each chapter according to projects or actions as in the past, I have chosen instead to write in the narrative form so that each chapter follows the one before and suggest a unity of purpose rather than a series of separate activities. By emphasizing certain areas which--from the historian's vantage point--seem most significant in terms of the dedication of resources and/or potential contributions to the Reserve Component, I hope to appeal not only to the experienced soldier but to the general reader. There is, of course, room for honest disagreement; but the final answer lies in the future. An additional reason for this approach is to illustrate how we, at Sixth US Army, while working on projects that seem totally alien to other projects within the same organization, are all working toward a common end: improving the readiness of the Reserve Component.