Reserve volunteers to see longer overseas tour lengths

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jason Tudor
  • Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  The leader of Air Force Reserve Command said Airmen volunteering for duty are leading his command’s ability to support the war effort; however, changes to the amount of time people will be asked to be overseas are on the horizon.

Lt. Gen. John A. Bradley, chief of the Air Force Reserve and AFRC commander, praised his team’s effort to have people in theater in as little as 24 hours. More than 4,000 Air Force reservists served in more than 44 locations worldwide as of Nov. 8. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 27,000 people from the majority of Reserve units have been mobilized.

However, some changes are on the way. General Bradley said the days of reservists serving 15-day tours as part of an air and space expeditionary force may be over. He said Air Force officials have allowed the Reserve to manage its requirements. Now, they are asking that the minimum time for reservists to serve in an AEF be increased to 30 days.

“It’s easier and better for everybody if you can have people for a longer period of time. It costs more to rotate people in and out,” he said. “However, not everyone can get away from (his or her) job on a voluntary basis for more than 15 days. Some can’t. So, there will be some drop in volunteers.”

General Bradley accepted responsibility for his current job in June. A previous assignment as assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for reserve matters helped him focus on his current duties, he said.

“It gave me a great appreciation for the young people we’ve got working for us, not just in the Air Force Reserve, but in all services,” he said. “There are so many people contributing to this effort.”

He included Joint Chiefs’ chairman Gen. Richard Myers as one of the first people concerned about how the reserve components are being used for the war effort.

“He has a lot of concerns about how we’re using people. He has a lot of concerns about recruiting and retention,” General Bradley said.

General Myers emphasized the importance of the reserve forces during a 2003 press conference.

“The armed forces of the United States of America are structured around using the reserve components,” he said. “I mean, we can’t go to war, to conflict, without them. We’ve got to use the reserves. They’re just absolutely essential to our warfighting capability.”

If the current recruiting numbers are any indication of the command’s employment success, General Bradley said his former boss need not worry. In fiscal 2004, the Air Force Reserve met 103 percent of its recruiting goal. Retention hovered at above 89 percent.

Meanwhile, reservists fill 12 to 16 percent of nonflying support jobs within the air and space expeditionary force. Reserve fliers occupy as much as 24 percent of the flying billets. General Bradley said those “are about the right numbers.” He added the Air Force reservists are raising their hand to go rather than being pushed into service.

“The policy is that we don’t mobilize people for those efforts. We find volunteers,” he said. “I think the AEF Center (at Langley Air Force Base) in Virginia is hopeful that we can keep those numbers fairly stable; that we can continue to do the same level of effort that we’ve done in the past.”

That effort needs to be sustained. The general said he sees challenges ahead if the Reserve keeps going at the current pace.

“We’ll eventually run out of some of that capability if things don’t change,” he said.

The mobilization period will end for some people currently activated for two years. Unless a bevy of volunteers step up, he said he will need to offer alternatives.

Overall, General Bradley said he is encouraged by the powerful role Air Force reservists are taking in the war on terrorism and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“I’m proud of the work they are doing. I’m proud of what they contribute,” he said. “And our retention is up because our people feel they are contributing to something important.” (Courtesy of AFRC News Service)