Guard, Reserve Airmen fill critical roles in active-duty status

  • Published
  • By Bud Cordova
  • Nucleus writer
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  

Guardsmen and reservists once performed duty one weekend a month and two weeks a year.

Not anymore. In today’s military, it’s rather common for active-duty units to use Guard and Reserve forces in active-duty status to fill critical roles.

A Kirtland Air Force Base mission partner, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, developed and implemented ways to take advantage of the skills the total force provides, and it’s using Reserve and Guard forces, particularly when the need for manpower is high. Once it meets objectives and requirements become less, reservists and guardsmen are free to return to the civilian world or pursue other active-duty opportunities.

An organization needs good planning to make effective use of available Reserve forces.

AFOTEC plans years in advance.

“We can tell when we are going to need to bring more people in to conduct testing on systems, and our Guard and Reserve members bring great skills that support us in many ways,” said AFOTEC Commander Maj. Gen. Matthew Molloy.

The forces brought on for testing also receive benefits for their work, such as being certified for Test and Evaluation Level 1 skill and progressing through the skill levels, making them more valuable to the testing program.

The forces brought on have been utilized in cyber security and finding ways to protect the new F-35 Lightning II jet from cyber attack.

“This is taking care of the Air Force’s human capital in the right way, by building the relationships and creating other opportunities for them again during the surge work. Frankly, it’s a great opportunity for us and for our total force partners,” said William “Bud” Redmond, center executive director.

Last year the center used more than 70 people from the Air Force Reserves during critical testing periods. The organization is looking to expand those numbers in its more than 90 programs, which utilize more than 700 employees spread around the country.

“We really want to show our appreciation for the forces who come to us because they fill valid mission requirements,” Redmond said.

He added the work ethic and skill sets of those who come in for the temporary but crucial work have always surprised the full-time staff.

“We are able to give them a problem to solve and turn them loose with ‘go forth and conquer,’ and they complete it with skill, efficiency and acumen,” Redmond said.

He pointed out one of the success stories as Lt. Col. Michele Boyko. Boyko came into the center during a period of surge work. She stayed and became one of the individual mobilization augmentees.

IMAs are reservists put on active-duty orders. They can also mobilize with active-duty units to fill in areas of manpower shortages.

“The culture here is more of a family than anything, and it leads people to do great things,” Boyko said.

Redmond said learning the culture just seems to happen naturally and people begin to feel comfortable and excel in AFOTEC.

The center has also signed a memorandum of understanding with New Mexico National Guard Adjutant General Brig. Gen. Andrew Salas to begin utilizing Guard members in critical roles.

“This MOU will enable us to also bring in Airmen from the National Guard to also fill roles we are lacking and need to have filled,” Molloy said.

He added Guard and Reserve Airmen want to have good missions and there are none better than AFOTEC. He said the center’s success and its use of total force integration go hand-in-hand, and personnel are proud to be a model for how other agencies can capitalize on this workforce.

Other mission partners, such as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and Air Force Research Laboratory, also use total force integration.

“Everyone who comes to us has been highly skilled and very professional. We look forward to more of the Reserve and Guard forces being a part of AFOTEC,” Redmond said.