Reserve Faces BRAC, Reduction Challenges:

The head of Air Force Reserve Command recently told lawmakers that there is a “huge amount of realignment going on” that affects about 13,000 Reservists—all of whom AFRC is trying to place in a new unit, if they want to stay in the Reserves. However, Lt. Gen. John Bradley told the Senate Appropriations Committee, “That won’t work for everyone,” because many cannot “pick up and move.” Adding to the turmoil is the Air Force plan to reduce the number of Reservists by about 10 percent, beginning in 2008. Still, Bradley maintained that retention “is better than it’s ever been,” and AFRC is “not having any trouble” in recruiting. He believes, too, that “ultimately” AFRC will “save a lot of money by having the right numbers of airplanes on our bases and the right numbers of bases.”