ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- The current conditions require the Air Force Reserve to prioritize the Four R’s that I laid out in the previous Citizen Airman magazine: Build a Ready Force, Develop a Resilient Force, Recruit and Retain the Force. This prioritization is key if we are to maintain the advantage against peer competitors, while transforming to meet the threats of tomorrow. To achieve this end, we must take a hard look at how we have developed the enlisted force from inception by asking ourselves, “What are we doing right?” and “What are we doing wrong?”
Lt. Gen. Healy has tasked me to not only answer those questions, but to lead the strategic effort in defining the Air Force Reserve’s Enlisted Force Development strategy. This will be a collaboration with numbered Air Force, wing and staff stakeholders executed through a phased plan and approach. I had the opportunity to unveil phase 1 of this approach with presentation of the FY23 AFR EFD Strategy to your wing commanders and command chiefs during this year’s Air Force Reserve Command Wing Commander and Command Chief Conference.
I encourage all members to seek out the newly updated TASKORD 2023 and AFR EFD Strategy to read them in their entirety. Below are the initial lines of effort that support a renewed focus on command-wide enlisted development to develop and implement changes for our enlisted force.
LOE 1 – Build Combat Ready Airmen
Update UMDs against manpower and UTC standards, ensuring optimized force mix across AFSCs; recruit to mission requirements and identified gaps
Equip and educate Airmen on available tools/metrics to steer effectiveness and increase individual readiness
Learning centered force development connecting Airmen’s training, educations and experiences to succeed in complex, multi-domain environments
Identify, plan and prioritize joint force training opportunities to support AFFORGEN cycles and increase AFSC/UTC duty mission capability rates
LOE 2 – Deliberate Talent Management
Re-align distance learning curriculum to meet Total Force leadership development objectives leveraging strategic partnerships to meet NDS/NMS direction
Design and implement an AFR force development continuum to retain experience and increase capabilities to support life-cycle development across all statuses
Develop a competency-based performance model for enlisted personnel, aligned with Airman leadership qualities, to enhance essential attributes and skills at all grades
Program and budget for increased requests for in-residence professional military education allocations
LOE 3 – Accountability and Standards
Establish standardized AFR key indicators to consistently evaluate SEL performance and close unit performance gaps
Revamp AFR enlisted promotion process: Objective evaluation against DAF standards and competencies, that is transparent and timely
Enhance promotion processes and procedures for SNCOs to meet DAF promotion readiness (mission and professional) expectations
These LOEs and this approach serve to increase retention of highly qualified Airmen, increase organizational performance and talent management to ensure we are successful in recruiting, developing and retaining Airmen with the attributes required to compete, deter and win a high-end fight. With these LOEs in mind, I encourage you to let me know what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong. AFRC.CCC@us.af.mil.