Air Force Reserve to form F-15E associate detachment

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WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  As part of the Air Force's Total Force Integration, the Air Force Reserve is teaming up with Air Combat Command to establish an F-15E Strike Eagle associate unit in October. 

A detachment of eight instructor pilots, four instructor weapon systems officers and two administrative specialists will augment the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.

Although the reservists will integrate functionally into the active duty Air Force unit, their administrative support will come from Air Force Reserve Command's 307th Fighter Squadron at Langley AFB, Va.

"The associate unit program begun in 1968 has served the Air Force and the Air Force Reserve well over the years," said Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, chief of Air Force Reserve and AFRC commander. "By sharing equipment, we are able to train more people and make better use of resources."

Associate units make good business sense in another way because they capitalize on the experience and skills of reservists, General Bradley said. Many reservists receive their training while serving in the active duty Air Force before joining the Air Force Reserve.

"Through the associate unit programs, that training investment can be multiplied over and over as people come and go in a unit," General Bradley said.

Development of ACC-gained Reserve fighter associate units began in March 1997 with the launching of the Fighter Reserve Associate Test program. At that time, a dozen reservists worked with the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw AFB, S.C., as part of a FRAT detachment.

The success of that program led to the signing of an agreement in April 2003 by the commanders of ACC and AFRC to establish fighter associate units at ACC F-16 and F-15 locations. (Air Force Reserve Command News Service) 

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