What is the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, and how is it different from the Active-Duty Air Force?

            While researching pilot opportunities in the Air Force, you may have come across these three different components and wondered what they are and how they are different. As a pilot candidate, you should know and understand what each military component means and how it will influence your aviation career. The reserves are often lumped into one category and refer to the part-time military members who serve to supplement the active-duty. The active-duty is the full-time force in charge of executing the mission of the Department of Defense. All three provide flying opportunities in the Air Force, so take the time to understand what each component has to offer before taking the next step in your military aviation career.  

           According to the Congressional Research Service (2020), “the term reserves is often used as a generic term to refer to all members of the seven individual reserve components. There is an important distinction between the five reserve components that are purely federal entities (i.e., the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air Force Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve) and the two reserve components that are both federal and state entities (i.e., the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard). In this context, the five purely federal reserve components are referred to collectively as the Reserves, while the dual federal/state reserve components are referred to collectively as the National Guard.” The two reserve components we will be focusing on are the Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserve. 

           The Air National Guard is a subcomponent of the National Guard, which is comprised of a part-time volunteer force serving both federal and state missions. These units are located throughout the U.S. and its territories, to allow people to serve in the military while staying close to home. The National Guard is controlled by the National Guard Bureau (NGB) and is a joint partner in the Department of Defense. Under the U.S. Constitution, each state's National Guard unit is controlled by their respective state governor in times of peace but can be called upon for federal duty by the president. The best example of activating the National Guard in peacetime would be when we experience a natural disaster like Hurricane Katrina in 2005 or Hurricane Harvey in 2017. In these cases, the National Guard was activated by the state governor to help supplement disaster relief.

           Similarly, the Air Force Reserve is a subcomponent of the active-duty Air Force, which is comprised of a part-time volunteer force who only serves the federal government and not the states. The Air Force Reserve supplements the active-duty force in times of war and peace, both stateside and overseas. The Air Force Reserve is controlled by the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), headquartered at Robins AFB, GA. It is important to understand the difference between the Guard and Reserve, how they are controlled, and to whom they report. Often the biggest difference between to two comes down to funding and control. The Guard and Reserve are funded differently through the Defense Budget and the lobbying of governors in the case of the National Guard. 

           The active-duty Air Force is comprised of a full-time volunteer force who serves the federal mission and is a component of the Department of Defense. “The Department of Defense is responsible for providing the military forces needed to deter war and protect the security of our country. The major elements of these forces are the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, consisting of about 1.7 million men and women on active-duty” (Department of Defense, 1994). As an active-duty member, you are a full-time employee who receives excellent pay and benefits, however, you are also subject to deployments of varying lengths and frequent moves called Permanent Change of Station (PCS).  

 

References

Department of Defense (1994). Retrieved Aug 31, 2020 from,                    https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr/library/status/mission/mdod.htm

Reserve Component Personnel Issues: Questions and Answers. (2020). Retrieved June 28, 2020             https://fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL30802.pdf

 

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