WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! 000593. Guard, Reserve help overcome shortage, transition to EAF by Staff Sgt. A.J. Bosker Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- The shortage of trained active-duty aircrews and the current operations tempo have increased the Air Force's reliance on the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve to help accomplish the mission and make the transition to an expeditionary aerospace force, said Secretary of the Air Force F. Whitten Peters. "We are an integrated Total Force and rely on the critical contributions of our Guardsmen and Reservists," Peters said. "We have been moving a lot of what had been active-duty requirements into the Guard and Reserve to free up resources for other tasks. "The total number of the active-duty force will not vary much over the next few years so it is critical that the Air Force effectively allocate its manpower where needed most," he said. According to the secretary, the Guard and Reserve have been moving into less traditional roles at home. The ANG is transitioning to F-16 training missions at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, and Springfield ANG Base, Ohio, and to F-15 training at Tyndall AFB, Fla. The Reserve is also transitioning to the F-16 training mission at Luke AFB, Ariz., and is conducting test support at Edwards AFB, Calif.; flight check functions at Air Force depots at Hill AFB, Utah; Robins AFB, Ga.; and Tinker AFB, Okla. Additionally, both Guard and Reserve instructor pilots are contributing to the primary pilot-training mission at specialized undergraduate pilot-training bases. "Our efforts to engage with the Guard and Reserve have been very successful," Peters said. "On a recent trip to Columbus AFB, Miss., I had the opportunity for an orientation flight. My instructor pilot was a Guardsman, the IP in the other aircraft in our formation was a Reservist and his 'back-seater' was an active-duty first assignment instructor pilot -- not an unusual occurrence any longer." The Guard and Reserve instructor pilot associate unit program initiative is designed to help with the Air Force's current active duty pilot retention problem. Associate units have no assigned aircraft and use active-duty aircraft for training and mission accomplishment. "We don't have a quick-fix for the retention problem, and at the same time, we cannot deploy without experienced pilots leading our younger pilots on their wing," said Brig. Gen. Walter E. Buchanan III, 325th Fighter Wing commander, Tyndall AFB. Tyndall's ANG F-15 IP program will allow 21 active-duty pilots to return to the combat air forces. "(Our) partnership with the Guard is a good way to strike a balance that allows us to take advantage of the ANG's resident F-15 experience, while trying to bridge our current pilot gap," Buchanan said. The 944th FW commander, Col. Craig Ferguson at Luke AFB, agrees. "Our Reserve associate program is a logical extension of the expeditionary aerospace force concept. It gives the Total Force the option of capturing experienced fighter pilots who leave active duty but who still want to be a part of the Air Force Reserve. It also allows more active-duty fighter pilots to fill positions at operational assignments around the world." The Reserve F-16 IP program at Luke will allow 45 pilots to return to other active-duty combat units. Establishing an IP associate program expands America's total fighter pilot force, captures invested training dollars and helps alleviate our active-duty pilot shortage," said Gen. Lloyd W. "Fig" Newton, Air Education and Training Command commander. "Additionally, if we are going to fly and fight together, it's logical that we train together." "Each of these forces -- active-duty, Guard and Reserve -- have unique and complementary characteristics that make the Air Force a strong and versatile team," Peters said. "Our goal is to develop the right Total Force combination to accomplish the mission and successfully complete the transition to an expeditionary aerospace force." 000596. General Handy now Air Force vice chief of staff WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- General John W. Handy received his fourth star before assuming duties as the Air Force vice chief of staff, April 13. As vice chief of staff, the general presides over the Air Staff and serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Requirements Oversight Council. Before becoming vice chief of staff, he was the deputy chief of staff for installations and logistics, headquarters U.S. Air Force. Handy succeeds Gen. Lester L. Lyles, who is assuming command of Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. 000600. Retiree dental program: different legislation, different rules AURORA, Colo. (AFPN) -- With the fiscal 2000 National Defense Authorization Act, the Department of Defense has the necessary authority, unavailable a year ago, to explore options for enhancing the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program. TRICARE Management Activity officials are evaluating alternatives for obtaining additional dental services, such as crowns and dentures, that can be offered while maintaining enrollees' premiums at an affordable level. Uniformed service retirees and their families are offered dental benefits through voluntary enrollment in the TRDP. They will not have dental benefits under the TRICARE Dental Program, to be implemented Feb. 1, 2001, that is for active duty family members and eligible reserve component personnel. Established Feb. 1, 1998, the TRDP provides dental care for uniformed service retirees, unremarried surviving spouses and certain other family members. Enrollment in TRDP is voluntary and is administered by the Delta Dental Plan of California. The TRDP is funded solely by enrollees and receives no government subsidy. It was implemented under different legislation and different rules from those applicable to active duty family members and reservists. More than 500,000 retirees and their family members are enrolled. While the program provides coverage for a range of services, many retirees and their family members have requested additional benefits. Additional information about the TRDP, including enrollment forms, is available at the DDP Web site, http://www.ddpdelta.org/. 000599. Commentary: In for 20? You bet! by Senior Airman Michael B. Halbrook 690th Combat Support Squadron KELLY AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- I recently spoke at the Kelly Air Force Base "Right Decision" seminar. This is a program that reminds first- and second-term airmen who are close to re-enlisting about the benefits they will lose if they decide to leave the service. It is also a forum for senior leaders to let these airmen know how important they are and that they care about their future. As I watched people come through the door, I remembered the feelings I had when I first considered leaving the Air Force. Everyone asked, "Are you sure this is what you want?" and "Think of your benefits." Like many of the airmen in this seminar, I didn't want to hear it -- I was getting out. I separated from the Air Force in May 1999. Many asked me why, but I really didn't have a definite answer. I guess I thought the grass was greener on the other side. I came up with a million excuses back then, but today I see that none of them were really valid. I learned some very hard and valuable lessons last summer. I also found out the job I had in the Air Force wasn't as bad as I thought. I started looking for a civilian job eight months before my separation date, but nothing ever panned out. I used every possible means I had, including every online resume Web site on the Internet. So with no job, my wife Stacey and I moved back home to Florida and settled in with my parents. It wasn't a bad experience, but going back to live with your parents is something you really don't want to do. My wife is a travel agent and found a job right away, but it paid only half of what she made during my last Air Force assignment in Colorado. Meanwhile, I continued hitting the pavement in search of the right job. I finally had to take what I could get, and accepted a sales position at a local radio station. Not a bad job, but if you don't sell, you don't get paid. In July my uncle suggested I go to Georgia to look for a job, so Stacey and I loaded up our car again. Like before, Stacey found something right away that paid excellent money, so we were able to get an apartment. I on the other hand, just about lived at the local labor department -- I think they knew me by my first name. In desperation, I started dropping off resumes at local department stores along with any leads I got from the labor office. When the phone finally rang, it was not the job I had hoped for, but we needed the money, so I went for an interview and was hired on the spot. And that's how, after four years in the Air Force installing high-tech, complex computer systems for the North American Aerospace Defense Command at Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, I ended stocking shelves at Target. I'm not putting this job down, but I thought I could have found something better. I worked like a dog for four months unloading boxes, helping with inventory, and working late nights and extra hours just to make ends meet. The real turning point came when Stacey and I had about $34 left to last us two weeks. If not for our families, I don't know what we would have done. I knew then that getting out of the Air Force had been a terrible decision. I hadn't looked at the big picture or how this decision would affect my wife. The next day I called my local recruiter, and that is why I'm telling my story today. I have three points of advice for anyone thinking of getting out without having have a job lined up: One: Start saving now, just in case you end up like me with nothing to fall back on. Two: Think of your family. Right now they have insurance, and so do you. It gets real expensive on the outside and most of the time, it takes awhile before the benefits kick in. Three and most importantly: Get all the education you can and get that degree -- it's the most valuable piece of paper you will ever receive. I didn't come back into the Air Force just for the money, but having a job with security is an awesome feeling. I also missed wearing the Air Force uniform and all the perks that come with it. This is not a feel-sorry-for-me story. I just want to let others know things are a little different on the outside, and to keep what happened to me and my family from happening to them. Many people have asked if I am in for good this time. I just smile back and say, "For the full twenty!" --------------------------------------------------------------------- **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! 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