U.S. Air Force Reserve Update
The U.S. Air Force provides weekly updates. Here are items from its reserve component notes:
ANG/AFRC: According to Lt. Gen. Michael Loh (AF/NGB/CF), a difficult recruiting environment could leave the Air National Guard and the reserve component of the Air Force up to 4,000 recruits short (of its staffing requirements for 2023. Loh noted delays related to various administrative changes and lingering effects from the coronavirus are having a major impact on recruiting. Click here to read more.
AFRC/ACC: As the U.S. Air Force looks to increase the number of airfields at disparate locations to provide for more flexible combat operations, 25 Airmen from Mountain Home Air Force Base trained at Dobbins Air Reserve Base to identify whether Airmen could repair an airfield without any previous specialized training. The beta test was conducted as part of the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) concept to train Multi-Capable Airmen. Click here for more information.
AFRC/AFMC: As part of the Air Force’s B-52 Radar Modernization Program, a B-52 bomber out of the 307th Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base arrived at a Boeing facility in San Antonio to have the Active Electronically Scanned Array system (AESA) installed. The initial AESA capability is planned for 2027 and is one of the largest upgrades in the history of the B-52 fleet. Click here to read more.