JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- When Airmen deploy downrange, it’s not uncommon to see active duty, reserve and National Guard members working alongside each other from the flightline all the way to the dining facility.
But you don’t have to travel that far to see total force integration happening on the flightline. 514th Air Mobility Wing reserve Airmen work hand in hand with their active duty counterparts at the 305th AMW every day.
“At any given point in time, you will have an active duty, a reserve and an air reserve technician working on a jet together to get the aircraft off the deck and into the fight,” said Chief Master Sgt. Paul Sigloch, 514th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron superintendent. “Not only are we integrated that way, we are also integrated that if need be, that we can help and assist the other career fields if they need an extra Airman to help work on the jet.”
With total force integration, there are no longer any disconnects between shops; each shop knows what the others are doing, Sigloch added.
At any given time, there can be Airmen from up to five career fields working on a C-17 Globemaster III here. Whether they are crew chiefs or communication and navigation technicians, there are no distinguishing features to differentiate active duty and reservists.
“When you walk in (to work) and you didn’t know for yourself, you’re not going to be able to tell the difference between a reservist and an active duty member,” said Senior Airman Brian Stull, 305th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron C-17 crew chief. “Some are even more skilled than the active members they’re working alongside.”
Experienced air reserve technicians often train young active Airmen, and experienced active members assist new reserve maintainers.
“The cohesiveness definitely helped train me,” said Air Force Staff Sgt. Alane Moses, 514th AMXS maintainer. “The integration helped me become better versed and comfortable enough to raise my hand to deploy.”
When deployed, there are no distinctions between active and reserve, everyone is working toward the same goal.
“The total force integration happening here leads to a seamless transition to a deployed location,” said Sigloch. “There’s nothing on my uniform that says I’m a reservist – I’m in the Air Force.”