U.S. Air Force Reserve Update
The U.S. Air Force provides weekly updates. Here are items from its reserve component notes:
Modernizing recruitment policies to attract new talent:
Secretary Frank Kendall (SecAF) addressed the steps that the Air Force is taking to ease the projected 10 percent active duty recruiting shortfall, stating that the shortfall does not equate to a crisis. Kendall also noted, that while the military has come under political scrutiny for loosening standards, the primary recruitment challenges are outdated recruitment policies that eliminate talent.
“We’ve got a long list of things that where we have rules in place that really didn’t make any sense,” said Kendall. “We’re not lowering our standards.”
More relaxed tattoo rules, body mass index measurement adjustments and a streamlined path to citizenship are just a few policies that the Department of the Air Force has changed to attract new talent. “The situation we have right now is probably going to give us an opportunity to look at several policies and adjust them where we can be more open to terms of people we weren’t letting in before,” said Kendall
Air National Guard:
- Members for the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing utilized HC-130J Combat King search-and-rescue aircraft to aid in the search for the lost Titanic-bound commercial submersible craft carrying five people. “When the Coast Guard called on the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing for assistance in this search mission, our Airmen responded quickly and professionally as they have in the past when called for other missions,” said Maj. Gen. Ray Shields (New York Adjutant General). “Our men and women are always ready to respond when needed.”
- The Colorado Air National Guard (COANG) is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Airmen from COANG have supported a variety of U.S. military campaigns, including World War II and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, as well as Operations Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. “The COANG has faithfully served our nation for a century,” said Col Jeremiah Tucker (140 WG/CC). However, the 140th Wing’s fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons is slated to be phased out in five years, posing a question about the future of wing. “We owe it to our citizen-Airmen to give them the opportunity to continue this legacy and their dedicated service to our state and nation,” said Tucker.
- According to U.S. military leaders, though they have seen an improvement, the Army, Air Force, and Navy National Guards are struggling to hit their 2023 recruitment goals. “This is the most challenging recruiting environment the Department of Defense has ever faced,” said Col. Anthony Pasquale (ANGRC MGB/A1). Pasquale expects that the Air National Guard could be approximately 3,000 and 4,000 members short of its target end-strength of 108,000 Airmen. Department of Defense leaders partly attribute the decline in recruiting efforts to COVID, demographic shifts and steeper competition in benefits from civilian companies.