Air Reserve Component

Air Reserve Component — Foundation and Seven Reserve Components

ARC Foundation

The Air National Guard and USAF Reserve form a significant part of our aerospace capability as the Air Reserve Component.

When Forces Are Drawn

When Forces Drawn

Forces are drawn from the Air Reserve Component when circumstances require the RegAF to rapidly deploy.

Same Standards

Air Reserve Components are:

Staffed and trained to meet the same training standards and readiness levels as RegAF Component Forces
Supplied with the same equipment on an equal priority

Withdrawal Restrictions

The RegAF can ONLY withdraw, divert, or reassign equipment for other commitments with the Secretary of Defense's written approval.

Continuous Evaluation

To ensure responsiveness and combat readiness, Air Reserve Components are continuously:

Evaluated
Modernized

Geographic Distribution

Air Reserve Component units are sometimes separated to take advantage of state or regional demographics and are NOT centralized at major, multi-squadron bases, as is the case with RegAF resources.

Distribution Benefit

This exception is beneficial because it:

Implements a strong relationship with the civilian community
Builds public support for the USAF as a whole

Command Structure

USAF Reserve Command Structure

Command of non-mobilized USAF Reserve units is exercised through the Commander, USAF Reserve Command, who, in turn, is responsible to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force.

IMA Command

Command of non-mobilized USAF Reserve Individual Mobilization Augmentees (IMAs) is exercised concurrently through:

USAF Reserve Command
The unit of attachment

Mobilization Authority

Whenever the President authorizes mobilization IAW Title 10 U.S. Code, the Secretary of Defense can delegate call-up authority to the service Secretaries.

SecAF Call-Up Authority

In that case, the Secretary of the Air Force would be authorized to call:

Air National Guard
USAF Reserve Forces

…to RegAF status.

When Activated

When activated, operational command of Air Reserve Components transfers to the gaining commander, who is also responsible for establishing training resources for all assigned or attached Air Reserve Components.

Seven Reserve Components

7 Reserve Components

The seven Reserve Components of the U.S. Armed Forces:

Army National Guard
Army Reserve
Navy Reserve
Marine Corps Reserve
Air National Guard
USAF Reserve
Coast Guard Reserve

Air Reserve Component — Air National Guard and USAF Reserve

Air National Guard Foundation

ANG Foundation

The National Guard Bureau is a joint activity of the Department of Defense, located in the Pentagon.

ANG Augments RegAF

As one of the Reserve Components of the U.S. Armed Forces, the Air National Guard is often called upon to augment the RegAF Components in the performance of their missions.

ANG Numbers

The Air National Guard has more than:

105,000 officers and enlisted members
90 flying units
579 mission support units

Dual-Status Military Technicians

Dual-Status Technicians

The primary sources of full-time support for Air National Guard units are the dual-status military technicians.

Technician Functions

These personnel perform day-to-day:

Organization
Administration
Recruitment
Instruction
Training
Maintenance support for the unit

Dual-Status Definition

By law, dual-status military technicians are:

Civil service employees of the federal government
Who must be military members of the unit that employs them

Technicians Mobilize With Unit

Technicians train with the unit and are mobilized with the unit when federalized.

Dual Federal and State Mission

ANG Dual Mission

The Air National Guard's dual federal and state mission, a provision of the U.S. Constitution, results in each Guardsman holding membership in:

The National Guard of his or her state
The U.S. National Guard

ANG Federal Mission

The Air National Guard's federal mission is to:

Maintain well-trained, well-equipped units available for prompt mobilization during war
Provide assistance during national emergencies, such as natural disasters or civil disturbances

ANG Peacetime Assignments

ANG Peacetime

During peacetime, the combat-ready units and support units are assigned to most major commands to carry out missions compatible with:

Training
Mobilization readiness
Humanitarian operations
Contingency operations

State Command Jurisdiction

When Air National Guard units are NOT mobilized or under federal control, command jurisdiction for these units is vested in the governor of the:

State
Commonwealth
Possession

District of Columbia

DC Command

As the Governor of the District of Columbia, the U.S. President has command jurisdiction over Air National Guard units. The U.S. President delegates this authority to the Secretary of the Army as Governor of the District of Columbia.

State Adjutant General

54 ANG Organizations

Each of the 54 National Guard organizations is supervised by the adjutant general of the state or territory.

ANG State Mission

Under state law, the Air National Guard provides:

Protection of life and property
Preserves peace, order, and public safety

State Mission Activities

These missions are accomplished through:

Emergency relief support during natural disasters
Search and rescue operations
Support to civil defense authorities
Maintenance of vital public services
Counterdrug operations

USAF Reserve

USAF Reserve Leadership

The Chief of USAF Reserve, HAF, Pentagon, serves as the principal advisor on reserve matters to:

The Secretary of the Air Force
The Chief of Staff of the Air Force

USAF Reserve Composition

The USAF Reserve consists of:

Officers
Enlisted
Civil servants

…who are tasked, by law, to fill the needs of the U.S. Armed Forces whenever more units and people are required than are available within the RegAF.

USAF Reserve Numbers

More than 835,300 people make up the Ready, Standby, and Retired Reserve. This includes:

Nearly 70,300 Selected Reservists who are "ready-now"
Participating in every job specialty and on the front lines of daily military operations around the globe

USAF Reserve Reach

The USAF Reserve is a combat-ready force:

Stationed at 66 locations throughout the United States
Serving globally for every CCMD in air and cyberspace

Reservist Contributions

Today and in recent years, Reservists have supported every USAF core function and every CCDR around the world.

What Reservists Do

USAF Reservists:

Safeguard nuclear weapons
Guide global positioning satellites
Fly remotely piloted aircraft in combat half a world away
Track hurricanes out at sea
Bring medical supplies and food into disaster areas to save lives

USAF Reserve Legacy

USAF Reserve 75 Year Legacy

For more than 75 years, the USAF Reserve has fulfilled the legacy of early air pioneers and exceeded the potential seen by the visionaries who created it.