Fighters of the Total Force in the 21st Century

This paper examines the increased utilization of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard in contingency operations, reasons for using the reserves, problems arising as a result of that use, and potential recommendations for countering those problems. The national policy of "Engagement and Enlargement" resulted over the past decade in a three-fold increase in the number of deployments of US military personnel around the world. The increase is one often-cited reason for retention and recruiting problems in the active force, particularly among fighter units. The Air Force turned to the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve for help. The increased tasking of the reserve component in-turn generated retention and recruiting problems in the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve similar to those of the active duty component. Retention among fighter units in particular is a leading cause and indicator of poor retention and recruiting in the reserve component. Recommendations in this paper provide suggested solutions to some retention and recruiting issues.