The Air Force Reserve will have a large role over the next few years as USAF addresses two of its top priorities—reinvigorating the nuclear enterprise and recapitalizing the force—says Lt. Gen. Charles Stenner Jr., the service’s top Reserve officer. Air Force Reserve Command has been part of the nuclear mission since day one, Stenner said during a Monday presentation at the Reserve Officers Association mid-winter conference in Washington, D.C. (see above). As the nuclear mission undergoes a revamping, AFRC will take on the B-52 training mission and have some Reservists serve in an associate arrangement with active B-52 units for both the conventional and nuclear combat roles. “Our goals and our sights have expanded in the nuclear enterprise,” he said. Stenner said he also anticipates expansion of the Reserve in areas like operationally responsive space, distributed operations, and cyber warfare. At the same time, he noted that AFRC is about $1 billion short in its military construction coffers to keep up with the current 165-year recapitalization rate for its facilities and installations.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.