The Air Force will likely experiment with a new way of filling manpower needs called “sponsored reservists,” said outgoing Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. Britain’s armed forces “have a contract for their refueling where their contractor provides both the platform and some of the crews. And, while some of the crews are active duty, some of them are ‘sponsored reserves’,” said Schwartz in a mid July exit interview. “And, we’ve toyed with that here as well,” he added. Sponsored reservists “are employees of the company and who can flip from their civilian certification to military credentials . . . simply by appropriate authorities executing the right orders,” he explained. Broadly, with regard to the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, “there clearly are imaginative things to do” to get needed capability with reduced resources, he said.
When Airmen eject, the mission is clear: America leaves no warrior behind. Airmen are trained to survive, evade, resist, and escape the enemy, and everyone from ground crew to rescue personnel and commanders are committed to doing everything necessary—and possible—to bring downed Airmen home.