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Reserve Command Announces $10K Bonus for Prior-Service Enlisted Airmen

Wednesday, April 12th, 2023

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFNS) —

To remain competitive in a tight labor market and retain valuable talent, Air Force Reserve Command is offering a $10,000 incentive bonus to fully-qualified, prior-service enlisted Airmen who sign up to fill open positions and agree to a three-year service commitment.

One of several incentives available to those who join the Air Force Reserve, this particular program opens a wider aperture for recruiters to capture qualified Airmen separating from the active-duty Air Force.

“The Air Force Reserve affiliation incentive is a clear demonstration of how we value those who continue to serve and are ‘ready for more,’” said Brig. Gen. Lisa M. Craig, Air Force Recruiting Service deputy commander. “Ready for more time with family, work-life balance, community involvement, educational goals and connections. At the same time, we get to retain the knowledge and experience of that prior-service Airman.”

Historically, the Air Force Reserve has targeted a recruiting mix of 70% prior-service and 30% non-prior-service members. This incentive bonus aligns with helping to achieve this balance and helping the Reserve meet its annual recruiting goal and overall end-strength.

“This bonus is one of many policies and incentive adjustments to help the Air Force Reserve ensure we can recruit the quality Airmen we need to safeguard our combat readiness,” said Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, AFRS commander. “The move is also important to encourage our Airmen separating from active service to ‘stay blue’ and continue to use their skills and training for the nation as part of the Reserve.”

As recruiting continues to be a challenge across all services, the Air Force Reserve missed last year’s goal of 8,200 by nearly 2,000 accessions. Providing an incentivized opportunity for fully-qualified enlisted prior-service members or Inactive Ready Reserve members to transition to the Reserve Component is one tool to help close the gap in reaching this year’s goal of 9,300 accessions.

“In order to compete with the private sector and other military services in appealing to and retaining qualified talent, we need to have all available resources at our disposal,” said Col. Ephod Shang, 367th Recruiting Group commander and director of AFRC Recruiting. “The Air Force Reserve is such an attractive option to continue to fulfill one’s desire to serve and maintain some very tangible benefits, all while performing on a part-time basis. I highly encourage individuals separating from the active duty to engage with a recruiter to learn more about what additional benefits and incentives they may qualify for.”

Active-duty and IRR Airmen interested in joining the Reserve should contact a recruiter using the Aim High app, visit AFReserve.com or call 800-257-1212 to learn more about this and many other opportunities to serve in the Air Force Reserve.

By Master Sergeant Bobby Pilch, 367th Recruiting Group, Air Force Reserve Command

Posted in Air Force, Guest Post, Profession of Arms | 2 Comments »

Studies and Analysis Squadron Unveils One-Stop Website for Enlisted Promotion Study Materials

Monday, April 3rd, 2023

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) —

For many years, Airmen have had to search multiple websites and resources to find the necessary material for their enlisted promotion studies. This could be anything from learning what they need to study or finding audio files to help them prepare for the tests. However, all of this is now a thing of the past thanks to the Studies and Analysis Squadron at Air Education and Training Command.

Members of the SAS have worked hard during recent months to create one comprehensive website where Airmen can access all their enlisted promotion study materials in one place – The Air Force Enlisted Promotion Study Guides website.

The site hosts electronic versions of AF Handbook 1, including both publication files as well as audio files; study guides tailored specifically towards those testing for staff sergeant or technical sergeant; plus, the Enlisted Promotions References & Requirements Catalog, which provides additional information on everything related to promotions within individual career fields.

The new resource makes it easier for Airmen preparing for an upcoming promotion test – no more having to hunt down different pieces from various places. Now, Airmen can quickly locate everything they need on one convenient page, just a few clicks away – making studying much simpler.

“The science of adult learning tells us that this learning occurs differently across populations and individuals. So, it’s important that we provide a variety of options for Airmen to learn,” said Lt. Col. Marcus McNabb, SAS commander. “This is an important first step in that direction and provides an audio resource, in addition to the traditional written resource.”

“Coupled with the plan to transition the test administration to an electronic medium in 2024, this modernization of testing resources and administration aims to reduce the administrative burden of testing Airmen and allows them to focus on the important aspects regarding Air Force and job-specific knowledge,” he said. “Ultimately, these efforts will ensure the Air Force promotion system continues to evolve to ensure we continue to promote the highest performing Airmen and meet the demand for quality Airmen to assure our nation’s defense.”

Studies and Analysis Squadron, Air Education and Training Command

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Air Force Releases 102nd Uniform Board Results for Airmen, Guardians

Monday, March 27th, 2023

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. approved several initiatives submitted to the November 2022 Air Force Uniform Board for implementation in Department of the Air Force Instruction 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of United States Air Force and United States Space Force Personnel. Authorized changes are effective April 1.

As separate services, the Air Force and Space Force host independent uniform boards; however, the results of one service’s uniform board may be adopted by either service. As a result, some of the changes approved by the Air Force’s 102nd Uniform Board were adopted by the Space Force. These specific changes have been identified within DAFGM 36-2903.

Airmen and Guardians submitted change requests through the Guardians and Airmen Innovation Network online.

The summary of approved changes are:

Child Development Centers (CDCs):
This authorizes installation commanders to designate CDCs as a no-hat, no-salute zone. Additionally, in areas not designated, salutes are not required when either person is carrying children.

Authorizes the wear of cold weather headband:
This expands the current cold weather accessories to add a headband in addition to scarves, earmuffs, watch cap and gloves.

Authorizes wear of a total of four badges on the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) uniform above the USAF tape.
This expands the current regulation, which allows a maximum of two badges to four.

Authorizes the wear of additional headgear for the Flight Duty Uniform (FDU):
This expands the current regulation to add an OCP patrol cap and tactical OCP cap in addition to the flight cap.

Authorizes a “small logo” on purses and handbags:
The logo must not exceed one inch in diameter. USSF only: When wearing civilian attire or in uniform, while carrying a backpack by hand, there are no color or logo restrictions.

Authorizes olive drab green authorized backpack color:
This expands the current regulation to allow olive drab green in addition to black, brown, gray and dark blue, as an authorized color for backpacks to wear with any uniform combination.

Authorizes any size logo on gym bags:
This removes the word ‘small’ from the DAFI, allowing any size logo on gym bags.

Authorizes the wear of parkas by characteristics:
This expands the current regulation to allow cold-weather parkas to be commercially purchased, with certain exceptions. Parkas must be OCP pattern or Coyote Brown and have name tapes, service tape, rank and patches worn in the same authorized configuration.

Authorizes Friday morale shirts with logo on the front and back:
This expands the current morale shirt regulation by allowing logos to be worn at a larger diameter on the back of the shirt in addition to having a logo on the left side of the chest not to exceed five inches in diameter. Regardless of the logo, the shirt must be Coyote Brown.

Authorizes the wear of “heritage-like” morale patches on the FDU:
This removes the verbiage from the DAFI limiting current or past official organizational emblem or any variation for the FDU, like the OCPs and two-piece Flight Duty Uniform.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Clothing, Guest Post, Profession of Arms | Comments Off on Air Force Releases 102nd Uniform Board Results for Airmen, Guardians

Army Field Manual 3-98 Reconnaissance and Security Operations

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023

In January, the US Army updated their Cavalry doctrine with a new version of FM 3-98 Reconnaissance and Security Operations.

Download it here.

Posted in Army, Profession of Arms | Comments Off on Army Field Manual 3-98 Reconnaissance and Security Operations

U.S. Army Reserve Soldier Recognized for Top Honors During Police Department Swearing-in Ceremony

Monday, March 20th, 2023

ATLANTA –

U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. Maria Henderson, assigned to the 300th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, recognized as the valedictorian and earned the “top shot” title in her Atlanta police academy class during an Atlanta Police Department private swearing-in ceremony on the Atlanta Metropolitan State College campus.

Henderson, the first female recruit in APD history to earn both titles for best performance, hopes to be an inspiration for other recruits, particularly women, and encourages others to consider a life of service.

“I wanted to become a police officer to help people,” Henderson said. “When I would see police officers in my community, I could always see myself doing that job. I knew it would be something that would really fulfill me, give me purpose… to go out and help the community and touch lives every day.”

She, along with 20 of her peers from Atlanta Police Academy Class 276, were issued their badges following the ceremony and will now begin six weeks of field training working alongside experienced partners in the force, and a formal graduation ceremony will be held in the spring.

Henderson, who has served in the U.S. Army Reserve for eight years, is no stranger to rigorous training. She credits her success at the academy in large part to her military experience and the discipline she learned from being a Soldier.

“I’m incredibly honored,” said Henderson. “I’ve always wanted to serve, and this is incredibly fulfilling for me.”

She added that she is proud to now serve both her local community and her country.

The Atlanta Police Academy program tests recruits both mentally and physically during 900 classroom hours and 12 weeks of fieldwork prior to graduation.

City of Atlanta Police Department Recruit Unit Supervisor Sgt. Courtney Murphy praised Henderson’s talent and work ethic.

“She is determined, she always wants to achieve and be the best at everything,” said Murphy. “She is very nice; she is very kind– and she is a leader among the recruits in her class.”

Murphy said Henderson’s military training paid off at the academy.

“It’s definitely a good foundation to have when you are coming into a paramilitary environment like the police academy,” Murphy said. “It gave her an outlook a lot of other recruits didn’t have. She understood our structure, our ranking… and she understood what we needed her to do often before we told her.”

“She is a really hard worker. She stays late, she comes early… she keeps everybody together,” Murphy added. “She is amazing.”

Murphy, a female officer herself, said being a woman on the force would be a challenging but a worthwhile opportunity.

“You always feel like you have to prove yourself more, you have to show that you can do the job,” said Murphy. “I have no doubt Henderson will move up.

“I am very confident in her abilities,” Murphy added. “I hope that she always remembers her foundations— and the women that came before her.”

Henderson will soon be out in the community serving as what she called part of a “new generation of police officers.”

“Now that I am a sworn police officer I would like to go out in my community and help change people’s perspectives,” explained Henderson. “We are people, too, and we really do want to be the change we want to see out there. That is what I want to put out into the world.”

-By SSG Elizabeth Bryson 300th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Posted in Army, LE, Profession of Arms | 3 Comments »

Air Force Announces Future Operating Concept

Saturday, March 18th, 2023

AURORA, Colo. (AFNS) —

The Air Force chief of staff announced March 7 a key component in how Airmen will Accelerate Change or Lose by successfully delivering airpower to deter and, if necessary, prevail.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. announced at the 2023 Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium in Aurora, he signed the Air Force Future Operating Concept to ensure long-range planning is intentionally linked to the Joint Warfighting Concept.

The new presentation of Airmen’s unique contributions to the Joint Force, allies and partners prioritizes conducting the service’s five core functions: Air Superiority; Global Strike; Rapid Global Mobility; Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance; and Command and Control.

“Without the integrated capabilities of the United States Air Force, Joint Force opportunities are infrequent, fleeting and costly,” Brown said. “Future conflicts will be contested and complex.”

The new operating concept supports the National Defense Strategy through the convergence of the Air Force Force Generation deployment model, the Department of the Air Force’s Operational Imperatives, the Air Force Chief of Staff’s Action Orders, Accelerate Change or Lose and ways in which Multi-Capable Airmen will be trained to operate in future contested environments practicing Agile Combat Employment.

The Air Force Future Operating Concept presents six operational fights that Airmen must win simultaneously and can do so by being empowered to make decisions under a doctrine and culture of mission command.

“Trained appropriately, Airmen do not have to wait for orders from higher headquarters to make bold decisions and take advantage of fleeting opportunities,” said Lt. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote, Air Force Futures director.

Airmen must be able to prevail in these six key fights as they apply airpower in the defense of allies, partners and national interests: the fight to compete with or deter, the fight to get into theater, the fight to get airborne, the fight for air superiority, the fight to deny adversary objectives, and the fight to sustain ourselves, our allies and partners in competition and conflict.

During his symposium keynote, Brown reinforced the Air Force Future Operating Concept will only be successful if Airmen across the force are trusted and empowered to execute what the nation has asked them to do.

“We will not be able to execute the Air Force Future Operating Concept without mission command. It takes practice and intentional development,” Brown said to an audience of Air Force leaders. “You must brief mission command, you must train mission command, you must exercise mission command and you must debrief mission command. Mission command is essential to winning … In order to execute at a high standard, we can’t play for second place; we need to play to win.”

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Profession of Arms | 2 Comments »

No More Ranger Tab Orders

Thursday, March 16th, 2023

According to the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade:

Effectively immediately, Ranger School graduates will no longer receive hard copy Ranger Tab orders. The Soldier’s ATRRS output will reflect G-GRADUATE, SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED CLASS for the course. The completion of the course in ATRRS will then feed IPPS-A, updating the Soldier’s SQI (Special Qualification Identifier) in the career management skills section.

All graduates will still receive a Ranger Course diploma on graduation day.

Posted in Army, Profession of Arms | 8 Comments »

Air Commandos Co-Host SAWS, Champion Transformation and Partnerships

Wednesday, March 8th, 2023

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. —

Air Force Special Operations Command and the Global SOF Foundation co-hosted the annual Special Air Warfare Symposium [SAWS] and expo at the Emerald Coast Convention Center Feb. 28 to Mar. 2, 2023.

The symposium featured speakers from across the special operations aviation community that included AFSOC senior leadership, defense officials, industry representatives as well as allies and foreign partners from more than 10 countries that were focused on integration and cooperation to remain relevant as the threat environment continues to evolve.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Wolfe Davidson, AFSOC deputy commander, delivered opening remarks to symposium participants.

“The threat environment continues to evolve across the globe and we now have contested environments in areas previously not considered high risk due to the continued proliferation of threat systems,” said Davidson. “This [symposium] is an opportunity to get closer to our industry partners who are doing greats things in technology and are critical as we look to adapt our tools to the fight we have.”

Military and industry speakers identified an on-going need to collaborate to prepare, prevent, and prevail against current and future adversaries over the course of the 3-day event.

“We must continue to adapt and look for opportunities to innovate and transform our Air Commandos to remain the most capable, most lethal Air Force in the world,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind, AFSOC commander. “AFSOC, alongside our industry partners, has been transforming…and we continue to look for opportunities and avenues, like the Special Air Warfare Symposium, to do so.”

The ongoing transformation of AFSOC involves a new force generation cycle, the implementation of mission command, the development of Special Operations Task Groups and Units as well as creation of multi-domain theater-focused squadrons.

“Although change can be difficult, irrelevance is worse,” said Bauernfeind. “We have a proud history and heritage of transformation to meet the mission…and we too shall rise to ensure our nation’s security.”

By TSgt Jonathan McCallum, AFSOC

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