[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 40 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E549-E550]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   AIR FORCE RESERVE BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM GIBBONS

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 1, 1998

  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing the birthday of the United 
States Air Force Reserve. April 14, 1998 will mark fifty years of 
service by the Air Force Reserve to the United States of America. The 
Air Force Reserve traces its heritage to the National Defense Act of 
1916, which authorized a corps of reserve officer and enlisted 
aviators. From this modest beginning, Reservists made noteworthy 
contributions during both world wars. On April 14, 1948, the Air Force 
Reserve became a component of the United States Air Force. In 1998, the 
Air Force Reserve celebrates the 50th anniversary of this event. During 
those 50 years, Reservists have served proudly and with great 
distinction during times of conflict.
  They answered the call in Korea in the 1950s, in Berlin, Cuba, Korea 
and Southeast Asia in the 1960s, and in the Persian Gulf in the 1990s. 
In peacetime, while maintaining a high degree of readiness to respond 
during a crisis, Reservists perform humanitarian, rescue, hurricane 
reconnaissance and aerial-spray missions throughout the United States 
and around the world. They also support virtually every air force 
peacetime operational activity, from airlift missions and satellite 
operations, to patrolling the no-fly zones over Bosnia and Iraq.
  The Air Force Reserve has grown from an ``extremes force'' to an 
integrated combat ready fighting force. As the Air Force Reserve moves 
into the 21st Century, they play an expanded role in meeting the fast 
changing needs of our country. They are developing more detailed long-
range and annual planning documents to ensure the Reserve is a viable 
partner in the total force goal--to best use our capabilities, provide 
America an effective defense, and give the best value for our defense 
dollar. Originally intended for wartime augmentation, today these 
citizen airmen support national objectives on a daily basis.
  Their day-to-day involvement has increased markedly in recent years. 
The Air Force Reserve participated in 11 contingencies between 1953 and 
1990. In the last seven years, they have played a significant role in 
over 40 major operations. This is part of life and they are proud to do 
it. In every instance since Desert Storm, they have met these 
obligations with all volunteers.
  The Air Force Reserve is a force of dedicated airmen who help support 
the world's most respected Air Force. Today, they provide 13 percent of 
total Air Force manning and roughly 20 percent of the Air Force's total 
air and space capability. Their mission is readiness, but their job is 
to support the total Air Force. Air Force planners and leaders 
recognize the need for their support and rely on them to step in 
wherever needed.

[[Page E550]]

  Their readiness has never been higher, and they are part of nearly 
every mission area. One of the keys to their success is compensating 
leverage as a force multiplier inherent within a fully trained and 
accessible force waiting on call. In reality, today's global situation 
dictates that they serve as a peacetime augmentation force as well as a 
ready, wartime force.
  Air Force Reserve units maintain readiness levels on par with active 
duty units. Over 92% of Air Reserve units are currently combat ready, 
closely paralleling our active force.
  The Air Force Reserve remains ready to support mission requirements 
at any time, under any conditions, anywhere in the world. They bring 
current, mission capable technology, at low cost, to meet the 
expectations of the active duty commanders they support. And they bring 
the creative ingenuity and dedication of a highly skilled and diverse 
workforce to meet their requirements and their responsibilities to the 
American people.
  Some of the most notable accomplishments for the Air Force Reserve 
over the past 50 years have included:
  April 14, 1948--The U.S. Air Force Reserve was officially designated.
  1950-1952--All 25 Air Force Reserve wings, along with 118,000 
individual reservists, came on active duty during the Korean conflict.
  July 9, 1952--The Armed Forces Reserve Act standardized pay and 
training categories and established Ready, Standby and Retired 
mobilization categories.
  Oct. 1, 1961--Five Air Force Reserve C-124 Globemaster groups and 
about 9,000 individual reservists, totaling more than 15,000 were 
mobilized during the Berlin Crisis.
  Oct. 18, 1962--Eight Air Force Reserve troop carrier wings and six 
aerial port squadrons, total more than 14,000 reservists, were 
mobilized during the Cuban missile crisis.
  Jan. 26, 1968--Six Air Force Reserve units were mobilized in the wake 
of the Pueblo Incident.
  May 13, 1968--Seven Air Force Reserve units were mobilized to support 
the Air Force during the Vietnam conflict.
  Aug. 21, 1970--The Total Force Concept was announced by Secretary of 
Defense Melvin Laird, making reserve components the initial source of 
augmentation for the active force rather than the draft.
  Aug. 3, 1973--Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger elevated the 
Total Force Concept to the Total Force Policy, integrating the active, 
Guard and Reserve into a homogeneous whole.
  Oct. 1, 1977--In a mission shared with the Air National Guard, the 
Air Force Reserve began rotating C-130s, aircrews, and support 
personnel to Howard Air Force Base, Panama, in support of Phoenix Oak, 
the Air Force's Latin American mission.
  Oct. 23, 1983--Air Force Reserve airlift associate units assisted in 
the evacuation of more than 700 American and foreign citizens from 
Grenada during the civil turbulence on that island. Reserve 
maintenance, aerial port and medical personnel also supported the 
active forces.
  Oct. 24, 1983--Air Force Reserve airlift associate aircrews helped 
evacuate wounded U.S. Marines from Lebanon. Reservists flew 63 
strategic airlift missions transporting supplies and casualties into 
and out of Beirut.
  December 1989--Reserve units took part in Operation Just Cause, 
airlifting passengers and cargo to Panama. Aeromedical, special 
operations and air refueling units also participated in the effort to 
ensure protection of Americans and U.S. resources. When the operation 
ended Jan. 31, 1990, Reserve airlift units had flown nearly 1,500 hours 
airflifting some 7,500 passengers and more than 4,000 tons of cargo. 
Reserve air refueling crews offloaded more than a million pounds of 
fuel to 18 receiving aircraft, and AC-130 gunships flew 157 hours and 
expended nearly 7,500 rounds of ammunition.
  August 1990--Nearly 6,000 of more than 9,000 Reserve volunteers were 
on duty within two weeks after Iraq invaded Kuwait Aug. 2.
  February 1991--There were more than 17,500 reservists on active duty. 
About 3,800 were officers and 13,700 were enlisted personnel. About one 
in four were women. Approximately 1,800 were air reserve technicians, 
1,300 were individual mobilization augmentees and more than 500 were 
members of the Individual Ready Reserve. More than 7,000 of those 
reservists were in medical specialties.
  March 1991--The mobilization reached its peak with almost 23,500 Air 
Force reservists on duty. Of them, more than 20,000 were assigned to 
215 Reserve units, 2,300 were individual mobilization augmentees and 
960 were members of the Individual Ready Reserve or retirees. Most 
members of the latter group were medical personnel. The Department of 
Defense authorized the commanders of the gaining major commands to 
demobilize reservists, consistent with military requirements.
  May 8-10, 1992--The Command Band of the Air Force Reserve performed 
on Russian television May 7 and in the Kremlin May 8. On May 9, the 
band participated in the Peace Victory Parade, marking the first time a 
U.S. military unit has marched in the Russian capital.
  July 15, 1992--A Reserve C-130 and two aircrews from the 934th 
Airlift Group, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Air Reserve 
Station, Minn., joined active-duty and Air National Guard aircraft and 
crews at Rhein Main Air Base, Germany, to airlift desperately needed 
supplies and food into war-torn Sarajevo and Zagreb during Operation 
Provide Promise.
  Dec. 8-14, 1992--Reservists flew 190 sorties, airlifted 1,076 
passengers and 1,504 tons of cargo, and off-loaded nearly 1.8 million 
pounds of fuel in flight as part of Operation Restore Hope. The Air 
Force Reserve had 381 volunteers who were placed on active duty for 31 
days. Of that total, 396 airlifted troops and equipment, 37 flew air 
refueling missions, 17 performed medical duties and 14 provided aerial 
port support.
  Jan. 1, 1993--The Air Force Reserve entered the space program with 
the activation of the 7th Space Operations Squadron at Falcon Air Force 
Base, Colo.
  Jan. 31, 1993--Air Force Reserve units reported airlifting 9,400 
passengers and 11,728 tons of cargo in support of Operation Restore 
Hope, the relief mission in Somalia. Associate aircrews, flying active-
duty aircraft, airlifted most of the passengers and cargo flown by the 
Reserve.
  November 1993-January 1994--Air Force Reserve A-10 Thunderbolt II and 
F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots and aircraft participated with Air National 
Guard and coalition forces in Operation Deny Flight, enforcement of a 
military non-fly zone over Bosnia-Herzegovina in accordance with a 
United Nations Security Council resolution.
  June-September 1994--Reserve A-10 and KC-135 units deployed to Europe 
in support of the United Nations' no-fly zone over Bosnia. A-10s, 
aircrews and support people went to Aviano Air Base, Italy, again to 
provide fighter coverage. KC-135s, aircrews and support personnel 
staged air refueling operations from Pisa, Italy, and Istres, France, 
for U.S. and NATO fighters.
  September 1994--Air Force Reserve airlift and air refueling aircraft 
flew missions in support of Operation Uphold Democracy, the 
peacekeeping mission in Haiti. By Sept. 20, more than 1,100 reservists 
volunteered to deploy or remain in place to assist the operation. 
Homestead Air Reserve Base, Fla., and Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Ga., 
were staging bases. Homestead served as a jumping off point into Haiti, 
and Dobbins accommodated C-130s loaded with Army civil engineers from 
Fort Bragg, N.C.
  December 1995--Reserve airlift, aerial refueling, and aeromedical 
units plus individual mobilization augmentees began supporting 
Operation Joint Endeavor, the NATO-sponsored peacekeeping mission to 
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
  January-June 1996--Reserve fighter units, based at Aviano Air Base, 
Italy, continued to support the enforcement of the no-fly zone over the 
former Yugoslavia. The original UN-sponsored mission, Deny Flight 
concluded Dec. 21, 1995, when NATO assumed responsibility for what was 
then called Decisive Edge.
  February 17, 1997--The Air Force Reserve was designated as an Air 
Force major command, from a field operating agency, and renamed the Air 
Force Reserve Command.
  Air Force Reservists, through their unselfish devotion to duty, are 
dedicated ``Citizen Airmen'' who have served America proudly and with 
distinction for 50 years.

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