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General discusses role of Air Force Reserve at AFA conference

  • Published
  • By Senior Master Sgt. Raymond Sarracino
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
WASHINGTON --  Air Force Reserve Command's vice commander spoke to a gathering of service members and civilians Sept. 16 during a presentation at the 24th Annual Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition here.

Maj. Gen. Allan R. Poulin talked about the command's role in the war on terrorism and how AFRC is now the second largest of the nine Air Force major commands with about 67,500 members.

"We provide ready-trained Airmen, aircraft and expertise," he said. "We have folks in both the unit program and the (individual mobilization augmentee) program supporting every major command in the Air Force."

General Poulin said 65 percent of the command is made up of traditional reservists, who serve a minimum of one weekend a month and two weeks a year. The other 35 percent is a combination of IMAs, air reserve technicians and members of the Active Guard and Reserve. ARTs work in civilian status during the week and serve as military members during training weekends and annual tours of duty. AGR members serve on active duty in a specific job for a set tour length, often for several years.

A budget directive designed to decrease overall numbers in the force trimmed the end strength of the Air Force Reserve from more than 74,500 to its current 67,500. That decrease hasn't affected the ability of the command's leaders to "sustain a strong and viable reserve," he said. They have consistently met the command's recruitment goal of 8,000 new members annually for the past decade.

"We haven't missed (a recruiting goal) in 10 years. I think a lot of people like to serve," he said.

General Poulin spoke about the importance of support by civilian employers. He described how command leaders use Department of Defense programs designed to recognize these contributions, including Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve awards, base and facility tours, and "bosslifts," rides in Air Force Reserve aircraft and vehicles.

In his speech, the general outlined challenges faced by the command, including equipment, post-deployment reconstitution of people and equipment, and the impact on units and communities affected by base realignment and closure moves.

He discussed the importance of Reserve volunteerism for deployments and how officials work with members to ensure appropriate lengths of their tours of duty.

"Shorter tour lengths are Reserve-friendly ... we need that flexibility," he said.

Staff Sgt. Armando Galarza, an air reserve technician who is a KC-135 Stratotanker crew chief with the 459th Air Refueling Wing at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., was in the audience. He expressed satisfaction with what he heard, particularly as it relates to deployments.

"For air expeditionary force rotations, the biggest thing is predictability and duration," he said. "What I've heard today helps me and my family better deal with deployments before I'm actually gone." (Air Force Reserve Command News Service)