Reserve Mobilizations Now Possible for Homeland Disaster Response

If the President declares an emergency or natural disaster, and a state governor requests the assistance, Air Force Reservists, along with reservists from the other services, may now be called to duty to help out for up to 120 days, stated Air Force Reserve officials in a release. National Guardsmen, who normally operate under state Title 32 authority, have normally served in this role, as opposed to the reservists who operate under federal Title 10 authority. However, the Fiscal 2012 defense authorization act permits these reserve mobilizations, according to the May 20 release. “Mobilizing needed reservists will help sustain their support for longer periods and make operations more efficient,” said Air Force Reserve Chief Lt. Gen. Charles Stenner. “We mobilize reservists to handle contingencies overseas, so it makes sense that we do that to take care of our own country.” The law also permits reserve mobilizations for extended periods to support theater security missions around the world, states the release.