Reserve teen tackles job as voice for AFRC youth

  • Published
  • By Maj. Samuel Lee
  • 349th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Let's face it. Kids these days would much rather play countless hours of video games, stay indoors and enjoy their sense of entitlement.

What happens when you have an eager teen who would rather advocate to make their tiny world just a little better?

For 17-year-old Ryan Pavey, representing the collective voice for tens of thousands of Air Force Reserve youth sets him apart from the average teen. As the AF Reserve representative to the AF Teen Council, it's something he believes allows him to make a difference in the lives of kids just like him.

"I bridge the gap between the Air Force Reserve and the active duty Air Force," said Pavey, who took on the role in May 2014. "This allows me to share the concerns and issues of the AF Reserve with their active duty counterparts."

As a member of the Air Force Teen Council, he helps improve communication between teens and Air Force leadership, said Heidi Welch, Air Force Personnel Center Child and Youth Programs Branch chief. The overarching goal, she said, is for the AF Teen Council "to ultimately enact change which will improve the quality of life for Air Force youth."

That change can come in the form of both large and small projects and programs. Pavey highlighted work that the AF Reserve Teen Council has done already like creating Facebook-based videos to outline teen benefits and opportunities for reserve youth whom might not know what is available to them.

One example the AF Teen Council has tackled is educating youth about the "Set Sail on Your Scholarship" program, which, according to Pavey, "helps AF teens  learn about scholarships for college via the AF Teen Council" so that ultimately no AF teen is left behind when it comes to educational opportunities.

"It makes me really happy to know there are other AF youth out there that can have their lives directly touched by the things I've done," he said.

Pavey believes there's still more to do.

"There's a shortage of youth programs for AF Reserve teens, or lack of programs that help improve the quality of life," he said.

To address this shortage, Lt. Gen. James Jackson, Chief of the Air Force Reserve Command, is focusing on "developing the team." Air Force Services Child and Youth Programs has announced Teen Leadership Summits at Dahlonega, Georgia, and Estes Park, Colorado, this summer for AF Reserve and Air National Guard dependent teens ages 14 to 18 to experience a weeklong adventure with other Air Force teens.

The leadership camps strengthen self-confidence and resourcefulness needed in today's challenging and ever-changing world.

While balancing the many other things that teens his age do, Pavey divides his time among sports and other extracurricular activities. Throughout the week, he said he allots, on average, three and four hours to address youth outreach efforts, including teleconferences with youth across the globe at a variety of AF installations.