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Air Force Reserve looks to Future Total Force to keep pace

  • Published
WASHINGTON --  EDITOR’S NOTE: The following commentary is from testimony by Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, chief of Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command, before the U.S. House of Representative Committee on Armed Services July 20.

We are all facing new and unique challenges.
The Air Force is re-evaluating its functional and operational constructs. This will lead to new opportunities for the Air Force Reserve Command as we divest ourselves of older weapon systems and become more integrated in new Air Force missions … the Air Force of the 21st century.

To aid the Air Force’s transformation, the Air Force Reserve must change to remain relevant to the joint fight. The Future Total Force is an extension of the way we conduct business today. It optimizes the capabilities of all three components – active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard. Through a cooperative effort, these respective members create a common vision.

In addition, we will test new organizational constructs to integrate into every facet of Air Force operations. Our Reserve Associate program, a proven force multiplier in the mobility community since 1968, will expand to other mission areas to ensure critical continuity, maintain surge capability and cut costs through a sharing of weapon systems.

As a major command, the Air Force Reserve Command must transform to reap the maximum capabilities that cutting-edge technology offers us. We are closely reviewing current and emerging mission areas to ensure each component’s role is appropriate. Involvement in future missions will not only increase our operational effectiveness but should reduce reliance on involuntary mobilization, through such reach-back capability missions as information operations, space and unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Air Force uses volunteers for a variety of peacetime, contingency and war operations. However, some missions, like major conflicts, cannot be strictly completed through volunteerism, and we will need to use to mobilizations. But mobilizing during a steady state of operations eventually creates an unbalanced force. Better balance is achieved with Future Total Force.

The Air Force Reserve has been a full partner in the Future Total Force process. We are working closely to stand up a number of test initiatives directed by the chief of staff last year.

One initiative is to expand the Air Force Reserve presence in support of the many missions run by the Air Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. We are working with Air Force Special Operations Command to establish an associate Predator unit at Creech AFB, Nev., and for the first time we are standing up an associate fighter unit at Hill AFB, Utah. I am closely following the progress of these initiatives and look forward to working with my partners in the active duty and Air National Guard to explore further opportunities.

The Future Total Force will further integrate all Air Force components, realizing synergies we are only now beginning to recognize. The Air Force Reserve is prepared to take on these new missions, to be proactive and to accept change. Future Total Force enables the Air Force Reserve to remain an integral part of the Air Force team.