Photo By Staff Sgt. Daira Jackson | U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard W. Scobee, chief of the Air Force Reserve and...... read more read more
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ALI AL SALEM AIR BASE, Kuwait – U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Richard W. Scobee, chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of the Air Force Reserve Command, and Chief Master Sgt. Timothy C. White Jr., senior enlisted advisor to the Chief of the Air Force Reserve and command chief of the Air Force Reserve Command, visited the base March 11-12, 2022.
The purpose of their visit was to speak with deployed Reserve Citizen Airmen, recognize their efforts and get firsthand feedback to help the AFR train and equip combat-ready Airmen.
“What we're looking for is how Airmen are doing,” said Scobee. “We want to make sure our reservists here are getting taken care of, and that we're training them for the jobs that they're going to be able to do.”
By visiting the major bases in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility and speaking with Airmen from different units, leadership can get a good idea of needs, challenges or concerns.
“As senior leaders, it's our job to make sure that we create an environment [where] they feel comfortable speaking up,” said White. “We can think that we have all the answers, but I can tell you the things that worked for us, as we grew up, are not the same tools and techniques that work for today's Airmen. So we got to make sure that we're sensitive to their needs—creating that environment where they feel empowered.”
Since 1948, the Air Force Reserve has been a critical part of the nation’s defense. Its mission is to provide combat-ready forces to Fly, Fight and Win. Operating in various locations around the world, the Air Force Reserve has evolved from a "standby" force for emergencies into a Major Command of the Active Duty Air Force.
“I have worked with every military, and some of the ones that are adversaries as well,” said Scobee. “Nobody has a strategic reserve like we do, or the capabilities that we have within the Air Force Reserve or National Guard. We put [our resources] in the Reserve and the Guard so that we can surge to meet the needs of the American people.”
“As we can see what's happening around the globe, the surge capability that the air component provides is going to be critical—today more than ever,” said White.
The Reserve is 20% of the entire Air Force, but only 3% of the Air Force budget.
“The way we do that is we're a predominantly part-time force,” said Scobee. “We train to the same standard as Active Duty and the Guard as well. What's fascinating about it is how we're able to do that on 39 days a year. The way we do that is to maximize all the training dollars that we have and things we're able to use.”
The two-day trip included an overview of the ASAB mission and coining Airmen in the 386th Mission Support Group, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, 386th Expeditionary Maintenance Group, 387th Air Expeditionary Group and the 407th Air Expeditionary Group. The trip ended with a Q&A town hall session at the base theater.
“[It] doesn't matter if you're in the reserve, guard, [or] active component,” said Scobee. “We all care about our Airmen. The only reason that our staff exists is to make our Airmen successful. What we want to do is come here and make sure that we are doing what needs to be done to make sure that our Airmen can serve to the utmost of their ability and that's what we do.”
| Date Taken: | 03.12.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.17.2022 02:57 |
| Story ID: | 416556 |
| Location: | KW |
| Web Views: | 193 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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