Airpower and the Reserve Components (Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 36)

Abstract

Technically, the Air National Guard (ANG) and the Air Force Reserve (AFR) were born soon after the Air Force itself with the passage of the National Security Act of 1947. In truth, the roots of both Air Reserve components (ARCs) go back nearly to the Wright Brothers. Both organizations have matured over time. Today, ANG consists of 106,600 personnel with 1,350 aircraft while AFR has 75,600 personnel and 400 aircraft. All ARC units and personnel must meet active component standards. This simple but immutable requirement means both the Guard and Reserve are combat-ready and available to deploy worldwide within 72 hours. It is no coincidence that Guard and Reserve crews have so often flown away with top honors at annual Gunsmoke, William Tell, and Bomb and Navigation competitions. Despite past achievement and the essential place of ARCs in today's military, there are major challenges ahead.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA430389

Entities

People

  • Phillip S. Meilinger

Organizations

  • National Defense University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Defense
  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Aircrafts
  • Cold War
  • Defense Systems
  • Enlisted Personnel
  • Flight Training
  • International Organizations
  • Military Science
  • National Guard
  • National Security
  • Tanker Aircraft
  • Training
  • United States
  • War
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.