United States Air Force Reserve
The United States Air Force Reserve is one of the United States Air Force's two air reserve components, alongside the Air National Guard. The USAFR and ANG constitute the USAF's contribution to the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. The USAFR represents the federal contribution to the reserve components while the ANG represents the states', certain territories', and the District of Columbia's contribution to the reserve components as the "air militia" of these entities.
The USAFR is overseen by the Air Force Reserve Command, a major command of the USAF, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. AFRC also plays an integral role in the day-to-day Air Force mission and is not strictly a force held in reserve for possible war or contingency operations. AFRC also supports the United States Space Force through the 310th Space Wing, pending the creation of a space reserve component. The "Chief of the Air Force Reserve" is, ex officio, the commanding officer of the AFRC and is typically a lieutenant general and reports directly to the chief of staff of the Air Force.
Together with the USAF proper, the USAFR and ANG make up the "Air Force Total Force" concept. Per the USAF, the goal of the "Total Force" is "to develop, train, sustain, and integrate the elements of airpower to execute its functions across the spectrum of operations."
Overview
The federal reserve component of the United States Air Force, AFRC has approximately 450 aircraft assigned for which it has sole control, as well as access to several hundred additional active duty USAF aircraft via AFRC "Associate" wings that are collocated with active duty Air Force wings, sharing access to those same active duty Air Force aircraft. The inventory, both AFRC-controlled and active duty Regular Air Force-controlled, includes the latest, most capable models of aircraft that are assigned to the U.S. Air Force. On any given day, 99 percent of AFRC's aircraft are mission-ready and able to deploy within 72 hours. In addition to flying units, AFRC has numerous ground organizations ranging from medical units to civil engineers, intelligence, and security forces, just to name a few.The purpose of the Air Force Reserve, as derived from Title 10 of the United States Code, is to:
"Provide combat-ready units and individuals for active duty whenever there are not enough trained units and people in the Regular component of the Air Force to perform any national security mission."
Unlike the Air National Guard, which alternates between a "state" status and a "federal" status via both Title 32 of the United States Code and Title 10 U.S.C., the Air Force Reserve is strictly a "federal" reserve component under Title 10 U.S.C. and operates as an independent Major Command, i.e., Air Force Reserve Command. In combination with the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve comprises half of what is known as the Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. AFRC forces are under the administrative control of the Commander, Air Force Reserve Command. When activated or mobilized, combatant command authority transfers to the combatant commander to which the forces are assigned/attached and operational control transfers to the operational chain of command established by that commander. In addition, AFRC forces are also assigned to deployable Air Expeditionary Forces and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty Regular Air Force and part-time Air National Guard counterparts in their assigned deployment cycle window.
The Air Force Reserve also contains other specialized capabilities not found in regular active duty Air Force units. For example, the Air Force Reserve conducts two unique mission sets for which it possesses the sole USAF capability:
- Aerial Spray Missions
- * At the request of local, state or federal agencies, the Air Force Reserve can conduct aerial spray missions employing insecticides or herbicides with specially-equipped C-130 aircraft.
- Hurricane and Weather Reconnaissance
- * The Air Force Reserve maintains the Air Force's sole aerial weather reconnaissance capability, to include hurricane and typhoon penetration by its own WC-130J aircraft, augmenting the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration WP-3D aircraft fleet.
A third unique mission set in the Air Force Reserve, Aerial Firefighting, is conducted in tandem with the Air National Guard and also has no counterpart in the Regular Air Force. Certain units of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard can conduct forest fire and wildfire suppression missions using specially equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft using the palletized Modular Airborne FireFighting System.
Along with its Regular Air Force and Air National Guard partners, the Air Force Reserve also participates in national and international humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions as directed by higher authority.
Like their Air National Guard counterparts, the Air Force Reserve also supports counter-narcotics operations by performing detection and interdiction efforts outside the United States in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies.
Reserve categories
There are several categories of service for personnel in the Air Force Reserve. Most Air Force Reservists are part-time Traditional Reservists who serve in the Unit Program, in which they are required to report for duty with their parent Air Force Reserve Command unit, typically a wing, group or squadron, at least one weekend a month and an additional two weeks a year. However, many Air Force Reservists, especially those in an active flying status, serve well in excess of this minimum duty requirement, often in excess of 120-man-days a year.A smaller but equally important category of TR is the Individual Mobilization Augmentee. IMAs are part-time Air Force Reservists who are assigned to active duty Air Force units and organizations, combat support agencies, Unified Combatant Commands and the Joint Staff to do jobs that are essential in wartime or during contingency operations, but do not require full-time manning during times of peace. They report for duty a minimum of two days a month and twelve additional days a year, but like their Unit Program counterparts, many IMAs serve well in excess of the minimum military duty requirement, providing multiple weeks or months of active duty "man-days" in support of active duty USAF and joint commands.
A smaller number of Reservists serve limited tours of extended active duty in an Active Duty Special Work status, usually at an Air Force headquarters staff level, in the joint combatant commands, or in other special assignments. Their job is to bring Air Force Reserve expertise to the planning and decision-making processes at senior levels within the Air Force, other services, and the Unified Combatant Commands.File:MarchC-17.jpg|thumb|C-17 Globemaster III of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing from March Air Reserve Base in 2010.Like the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve Command also requires two categories of full-time personnel to perform functions that require full-time manning. These full-time positions are filled via the same two programs as employed by the Air National Guard: the Active Guard and Reserve program and the Air Reserve Technician program.
Air Force Reservists who become members of the Active Guard and Reserve receive full active duty pay and benefits just like active duty members of any branch of the armed forces. The majority of AGRs are former TRs and they serve four-year controlled tours of special duty that can be renewed. Many AGRs serve with operational AFRC flying and non-flying wings and groups; at active and reserve numbered air forces; on the staffs of other USAF Major Commands, Field Operating Agencies and Direct Reporting Units ; on the Air Staff at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force ; on the staffs of Unified Combatant Commands; on the Joint Staff and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. AFRC Recruiting is another field that employs AGR personnel. AGRs also have the option with good performance to serve 20 or more years on active duty and receive a retirement after 20 or more years, just like active members of the Regular Air Force.File:465th Air Refueling Squadron Boeing KC-135A-BN Stratotanker 62-3503.jpg|thumb|KC-135R Stratotanker of the 465th Air Refueling Squadron.Another category of Air Force Reservists serving full-time are those in the Air Reserve Technician Program. ARTs are accessed from either the active duty Regular Air Force, the AGR program, Traditional Guardsmen in the Air National Guard, or TRs in the Air Force Reserve. ARTs carry a dual status, working for the Air Force as both full-time civil service employees and as uniformed military members in the same AFRC units where they work as Department of the Air Force Civilians, performing the same job duties. Although "technically" civil servants part of the time, all ART officers must maintain a reserve commission on the Reserve Active Status List as a TR and all ART enlisted personnel must maintain a current reserve enlistment as a TR as a precondition for both hiring and continued career employment as an ART. In addition, all ART officers and ART enlisted personnel wear their uniforms and utilize their rank titles at all times when on duty, regardless if they are in a DAFC status or in a drilling or active duty military status. Most ART personnel are assigned to operational AFRC flying wings, groups and squadrons in various operational flying, aircraft maintenance and other support positions and functions, up to and including wing commander. Because ARTs are not eligible for DAFC retirement until reaching age 60, and because a condition of their employment as an ART is contingent upon their maintaining an active reserve military status until reaching age 60, ARTs are not subject to the same maximum years of service limitations by pay grade that impact non-ART personnel. As such, ART personnel are permitted to remain in uniform until age 60, typically past a point that would otherwise require their retirement from military service based on rank, pay grade and years of service.File:First 301 FW F-35.png|thumb|F-35A Lightning II of the 301st Fighter Wing taxis at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, in 2024.Traditional Reservists are categorized by several criteria in either the Ready Reserve, Standby Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve or Retired Reserve:
- Ready Reserve
- Standby Reserve
- Individual Ready Reserve
- '''Retired Reserve'''