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AFRC commander shares vision with Hill's Reserve wing

  • Published
  • By Bryan Magaña
  • 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UT --  This weekend, the 419th Fighter Wing welcomed Lt. Gen. Charles E. Stenner, Jr., Chief of Air Force Reserve and Commander of Air Force Reserve Command. Before speaking at the wing's annual awards banquet Saturday, the general toured unit facilities and met with some of the Airmen who uphold the wing's exceptional reputation as one of the world's best.

What General Stenner saw during his visit was the realization of a vision he helped build while serving as AFRC Director of Plans and Programs from 2003 to 2006. That vision was Total Force Integration - the association of Reserve and Regular Air Force fighter wings working together to streamline and increase combat capabilities.

The integration of the 419th FW with the active duty 388th FW was the first of its kind, setting the standard for units across the board. In June 2007, the 419th FW said goodbye to the last of its F-16s, which were assigned to other AFR and Air National Guard units, and began sharing iron with the 388th FW. Since then, maintenance and operations personnel have been working and deploying side by side.

"These organizations have done great work and have made tremendous strides toward this association concept," said General Stenner, who served as the 419th Operations Group commander from July 1994 to December 1995. "This team has broken ground, and it's just been one milestone after another."

With more than 130 TFI initiatives already underway, the association at Hill Air Force Base will be "the template, benchmark and lens through which we will look at every new mission."

General Stenner noted that the Air Force Reserve will continue to adapt to change, adjusting to meet the needs of a force that is becoming more operational.

"The Air Force Reserve that I joined 28 years ago was truly a strategic reserve," he said. "But the Reserve of today is a force that is used daily. It is an operational force, not just a strategic force. We will continue in that direction."

As the military becomes more dependent on the skills and experience of Reservists, the need for TFI will only become greater.

"This will never slow down," he said. "As the world changes and as the requirements for our nation's defense change, we will evolve and look at more TFI opportunities."

The end state of TFI, General Stenner said, is increased combat capability. As he met with 419th FW personnel, it became clearer: TFI can work.

"When I look at the [419th FW] facilities, I see that folks have been collocated with like functions," he said. "I see that things have been looked at with a lens of efficiency. I see that the work places have been organized, not only by collocating, but by actually changing work processes."

By nature, TFI demands a paradox of familiarity with change. But General Stenner said there are certain Reserve values that remain rock-solid.

"The evolution of TFI has to still consider the fact that we are traditional Reservists - Citizen Airmen - and have responsibilities in other arenas of our lives," he said.

Reservists must continue to strive for a healthy balance among their families, civilian employers, and military duties.

"That is the Citizen Airman - the capability that you bring in a military capacity, balanced with civilian jobs and family," General Stenner told the Airmen at commander's call Sunday. "I want to make sure that we as a Reserve highlight that, and do not destroy that Reserve triad."

General Stenner said Reservists must make an effort to be engaged in the war, but an increased ops tempo cannot interfere with families and employers.

Although legal requirements for Reservists - one weekend per month, 15 days per year - aren't likely to increase, needs will.

The general is pleased with the number of volunteers who have remained committed to the call, but reminds them to "take care of the folks who are taking care of you. Without support from families and employers, we don't do what we do as Citizen Airmen."

General Stenner also remains committed to a "triad" of his own. His top three legislative Air Force Reserve priorities are manpower, modernization and military construction.

He said AFRC is working with congressional representatives to make sure they understand the Reserve's vital role in the nation's defense, which will ensure continued manpower.

When it comes to modernization, General Stenner is encouraging congress to set aside funds in the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account.

"Whether for defensive systems on airplanes or for precision equipment, every time we can add some of that money to the modernization program, we get our airplanes and our equipment into the theater and into the fight a whole lot quicker," he said.

He wants to keep a close eye on MILCON projects as well, ensuring the Reserve maintains its "world-class facilities" and that outdated buildings are brought up to standards.

As for the future of the Air Force Reserve, General Stenner foresees "even newer heights to scale" and has full confidence that the men and women of the Air Force Reserve will continue to meet those challenges.

"We have a responsibility to do what we, as the Air Force Reserve, do best." 

Fly, fight, and win.