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Show 2a AIR FORCE RESERVE HEADS UF 7, it? i $uffUmirt tK H.lhcp fima Family Day set; employers, retirees invited - by Cept. Tess Tatt-Cowa- u mn i " ft m t" m ir ' 4 - ' p n 419th 7FW Publtc Affairs Office ,- -r- The 419th Tactical Fighter Wing's annual Family Day celebration will include an employer appreciation event and a recognition ceremony for reservists activated to support Desert Storm. Set for Saturday, July 13, activities begin at 9 a.m. with aircraft on display in Hangar 590. Employers of Desert Storm reservists will also tour the 419th TFW at 9 a.m., hosted by Brig. Gen. F.S. Winebarger, commander. At 10 a.m., the ceremony recognizing Desert Storm participants, their families and employers will start. Reservists and families are then invited to Centennial Park, near the South Gate, where lunch will be served from 1 1 a.m. to 2 p.m. The displays in the hangar will remain open until 3 p.m. Children can have their photographs taken inside the cockpit of from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. an Games and activities for all ages will be available in the park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Additionally, retired reservists are also welcome. For more information and tickets, call Emajean Stephens, Tickets are available from unit orderly rooms during the June Unit Training Assembly. Lunch includes hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and soda. A map of the park area and a schedule of events will be published in the July 12 issue of headsUp. F-1- mii 6 777-311- ) - I sk. 'J ' - ., V .,-- Cm ', i , . -- w ' y v,v . 9. , U.S. Air Forc Photo by TSgt. Bruce Hills Family day Is fun galore Happy faces, like the ones these children displayed at the 1990 419th Tactical Fighter Wing Family Day, are on the agenda again this year. A homecoming celebration, picnic and a wide range of activities are planned for Saturday, July 13. Reserve to shrink; aligns with thinner active force cal 1991 National Defense Authoriza- 'Reservists continue to perform vital functions.. The size of the selected Reserve will cent of the selected Reserve. "As the wartime requirements conshrink in fiscal 1992, according to Maj. Gen. John J. Closner, Chief of Air tinue to grow, the size of the peacetime structure must continue to be supportForce Reserve. The Air Force Reserve will recruit to ed," General Closner said. From fiscal an end strength of 81,200 reservists in 1991 to 1992, the ART work force will fiscal 1992. down 4,391 from the cur- grow from 10,316 to 10,343, and the civilian force will climb from rent year, said General Closner in tesof before to the 4.435 committees 4,769. timony House of Representatives and the General Closner said the Reserve's Senate. pilot manning currently stands at 100 "This downward trend may well con- percent, but he expects above average s work losses in the because of the tinue." he said. "Our force of civilians. Air Reserve Techni- retirement of Vietnam-er- a pilots. cians, regular Air Force and reservists "This will expand our need to hire new on statutory tours of active duty finds pilots precisely when the active force itself increasingly stretched to meet is trying to retain theirs. To solve this the management requirements of our dilemma, we have to build manning units, especially with regard to options that are responsive and flexireadiness." ble for meeting our pilot inventory reFrom 1970 to 1990. the size of the quirements..." selected Reserve grew by about 65 perThe general thanked the congresse force needed to men for the benefits and entitlements cent, but the 25 to 18 per from it support dropped they approved for reservists in the fis non-AR- T full-tim- e mid-1990- full-tim- SDuDefl bE?DDu(s "Our reservists responded without hesitation to defend our country's vital interest in the Persian Gulf," said Maj. Gen. John J. Closner, speaking to committees in the House of Representatives and Senate. "And we continue to make a significant contribution during the redeployment and demobilization phases." More than 23,000 combat and support Reserve personnel from 215 separate units were called to active duty for the operation. Most of them reported for active duty within 24 hours, and all were present and prepared to deploy or did deploy within 72 hours of notification, the general said. "With unsurpassed professionalism, our personnel flew tactical fighter, tactical airlift, strategic airlift and aerial refueling missions, as well as providing medical support, aeromedical evacuation, air base operations and ground defense, and special operations," said General Closner. "Our forces were poised to assume additional responsibilities had that become necessary." General Closner emphasized his point with facts and figures about the Reserve's role in the seven-mont- h conflict from the invasion of Kuwait to the Those numbers included: cease-firreservists Military Airlift Command-gained Closner. Reservists continue to perform vital functions in strategic and tactical airlift, air refueling, logistics and maintenance, security police, fire protection and crash rescue, aerial ports and intelligence, said the general. "Operation Desert Storm confirmed our assessments regarding the use of Reserve forces," he said. "Our decision to train units to full wartime readiness has proven correct and allowed us to quickly recall and deploy forces that are indistinguishable from active-dut- y units. "Desert Storm has provided a clearer view of the future kinds of contingencies the military may be called upon to support. As a result of the several legal presidential 673B call-uand personnel issues concerning and recall surfaced. A review of the authority available is warranted to provide a solid foundation for future planning. "It is too early to predict Desert Storm's long-terimpact on recruiting and retention. Because of the personal and financial hardships our reservists are experiencing, we expect some increased attrition at the end of Desert Storm. However, our decisive victory may play a key role in retention and public receptiveness to Reserve service." p, volun-teeris- m m ffcaiGOa The Air Force Reserve "played a significant role" in Operation Desert Storm, according to the Chief of Air Force Reserve in testimony before Congress. e. tion AcCHe particularly praised them for monetary compensations such as the variable housing allowance for recalled reservists, for the commissary, exhange and morale entitlements recently afforded to "gray area" reservists, and for expanded Montgomery GI Bill benefits. He also told the representatives and senators how much he appreciated the new personnel benefits enacted in the 102nd Congress. "This support for our Desert Storm participants will never be forgotten." Training and maintaining the highest wartime capable Reserve force continues to be the Air Force Reserve's number one goal, according to General moved 199,712 passengers and 408,054 tons of freight, representing 41 percent of the air passengers and 76 percent of the air cargo flown to the Gulf. Reserve tankers and crews, augmenting the Strategic Air Command, flew more than 17,000 hours and transferred 74 million pounds (11 million gallons) of fuel to 6,267 receiving aircraft The 2,690 Air Force Reserve aeromedical evacuation crew members 60 percent of the total Air Force medical evacuation capability assisted in moving 3,861 patients in theater and an additional 6,112 patients to facilities in Europe. More than 5,000 mobilized Reserve medical specialists manned clinics, hospitals and aeromedical staging facilities in Europe, Southwest Asia and the continental United States. "To achieve this (goal), we strive to provide the rt newest, equipment to our units. "We must continue upgrading our aircraft while coordinating our efforts with the active Air Force, Air National Guard and our allies. We also work diligently to ensure our personnel are trained to fully exploit the capabilities of these weapon systems." In addition to unit aircraft conversions, General Closner cited several upgrade programs to improve existing aircraft. These include: Air Force-wid- e upgrade and" improvement of the engines soon to be placed in the Air Force Reserve's older 6 aircraft. state-of-the-a- F-1- Work on several 6 fighter component improvements. These include giving the pilot the capability to deploy chaff and flares without moving his hands from the stick and throttle, and providing more accurate and reliable navigation capability. to include Provide for future upgrades of s a modern radar warning system, night-visio- n lighttarand in the radar of and ing cockpit integration F-1- A-10- geting systems. electronic Continue to obtain countermeasures equipment for fighter aircraft. aircraft with missile warnEquip Reserve ing receivers and chaffflare dispensers. Modify defensive system on 180 Air Force Reserve and C-- 5 aircraft and expand the system with a radar warning device. simulator on line at Westover Bring a AFB, Mass., in July 1992 to provide full visual capability to train Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard crews from Westover and Stewart ANGB, state-of-the-a- rt C-1- 30 C-13- C-1- 41 0, C-5A- B N.Y. Expand Reserve simulator training capabilities and simulators. Enhance night warfightng capability with night vision goggles and other devices. "More than ever before, we are now faced with having to anticipate our force needs and plan smartly to meet the challenges of the future as a viable member of the total force," General Closner said. with C-13- C-14- |