Airmen are not 'just' reservists

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Jennifer LePore Pope
  • 301st Airlift Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  I am humbled to be part of the Air Force.  To date, I have been active duty, civil service, a traditional reservist and an air reserve technician (ART).  I am blessed and honored to be the chief loadmaster for the 301st Airlift Squadron, in my humble opinion, the best squadron in the Air Force.

Having worked for the Air Force in almost every capacity, I want to highlight some of the capabilities reservists bring to the fight every day. First and foremost, reservists must have the ability to balance family life, civilian career and military service.

I am constantly amazed by the dynamic and diverse array of skill sets and experience that make up our citizen Airmen.  Just in the 301st  AS alone, we have a stock broker, firefighters, police officers, probation and parole officers, airline pilots, a postmaster, a professional actor, project managers, a doctorate in philosophy metallurgist, a lawyer and even a Facebook executive.  These people deliver a vast array of talents to support the Air Force mission.

Additionally, most reservists live, work and raise their families in the local communities. The importance of supporting the surrounding community activities, being advocates for local small businesses, being involved in town councils and chambers of commerce means to reservists, being involved in their hometowns. 

It is this diversity of the Air Force Reserve that makes us special, able to adapt to additional mission requirements in the future and to remain a combat-ready force, capable of supporting our national security objectives.

Many times throughout the years, I have heard active duty service members say, "He (or she), is just a reservist."  There is no longer a "just" when referring to reservists. We are a seamless team, working side by side, day to day, with our active-duty counterparts.  So, please, next time you are in a conversation with a reservist, ask them what they do in their civilian career.  you might be amazed at what they have to offer the Travis team.