Air Force Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Charles Stenner says he is making a push to attract new members to the Reserve who have no prior Air Force experience as part of his efforts to keep recruiting numbers strong for his component. “We’re seeing fewer and fewer prior-service [Reservists],” said Stenner during a tour of air bases in Southwest Asia earlier this month. Accordingly, he said, “We’re looking very hard at recruiting non-prior service folks who want to participate.” Air Force Reserve Command also remains focused on enticing airmen who are leaving the active duty component to join the Reserve organization. “We want to retain airmen who may be leaving the regular Air Force due to a life-changing event,” he explained. “These highly trained and highly skilled individuals can continue to participate as their lives evolve.” AFRC recruiting has remained strong, consistent with the Air Force’s and US military’s trends overall. In March, for example, Air Force Reserve met its goal of 825 new accessions. Stenner praised the contributions of Reservists during his time in the combat theater. “I couldn’t be prouder,” he said. (Includes 386th AEW report by SSgt. Thomas J. Doscher)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent direction that the military services return to a more old-school approach to basic training—with instructors "tossing bunks" and "putting their hands on recruits”—will likely require the Air Force to rewrite policies for military training instructors it has modified over time to cut down on such…