Air Reserve Technicians , commonly referred to as ARTs, are a nucleus of full-time uniformed U.S. Air Force leaders, managers, operators, planners and trainers in what is known as the Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force , the ARC consisting of both the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard .
98-471: With most having extensive prior active duty experience in the Regular Air Force, ARTs have expert knowledge and proven expertise to maintain the operational combat readiness of Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and Air National Guard (ANG) units and to smooth the transition of Air Reserve Component units and both their full-time and traditional part-time military personnel from a peacetime environment to
196-403: A platoon (platoon commander), or to the brigadier commanding a brigade (brigade commander). Other officers commanding units are usually referred to as the officer commanding (OC), commanding officer (CO), general officer commanding (GOC), or general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-C), depending on rank and position, although the term "commander" may be applied to them informally. In
294-563: A wreath . Within the Metropolitan Police Service, the tips of the tipstaves are blue and not red, unlike other forces. Until the abolition of the rank of deputy commander in 1968, however, a commander wore the same badge of rank as a deputy assistant commissioner. In Australia, commander is a rank used by the Victorian, Tasmanian, Western Australian, South Australian, and Australian Federal police forces. The insignia consists of
392-482: A "steady state" of daily assistance, whether it was flying airlift channel; providing fighter, tanker and theater airlift support of "no fly" zone enforcement operations in Southwest Asia; aerial fire fighting; aerial spray; hurricane hunter missions; military air/sea rescue support of NASA Space Shuttle operations; or providing highly skilled medical and aeromedical personnel. As a result, Congress sought to clarify
490-585: A Reserve unit with an active-duty unit to share a single set of aircraft and rests on the idea that there are more operational requirements than there are manpower to fulfill them. The Associate Reserve program is based on providing manpower to complement the Total Force. Previously, an associate unit was one where the active duty (typically a wing level organization) owned the aircraft and the Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard wing or group co-located with
588-609: A command or unit. Some large police departments and sheriff's offices in the US have a commander rank. Most commonly, this is the next rank above captain. Examples of this include the Chicago Police Department , Los Angeles Police Department , San Francisco Police Department , Portland Police Bureau and Rochester Police Department . In others, such as the Phoenix Police Department and Saint Paul Police Department ,
686-555: A commander rank is the next rank above lieutenant, and is equivalent to captain. In the Northport, Florida's police department, however, commanders are below captains. A commander in the LAPD is equivalent to an inspector in other large US departments (such as the NYPD ); the LAPD rank was originally called inspector as well, but was changed in 1974 to commander. The Metropolitan Police Department of
784-537: A condition of their employment as an ART is contingent upon their maintaining an active reserve military status until reaching age 60, ARTs are not subject to the same maximum years of service limitations by pay grade that impact non-ART personnel. As such, ART personnel are permitted to remain in uniform until age 60, typically past a point that would otherwise require their retirement from military service based on rank, pay grade and years of service. Traditional Reservists (TR) are categorized by several criteria in either
882-457: A contingency or wartime environment. They also provide leadership and management continuity, equipment maintenance, administrative support, and training support to help keep their units combat ready. Air Reserve Technicians carry a dual status, working as both full-time Department of the Air Force civil service (DAFC) employees and as uniformed Reserve Component USAF military members in
980-436: A crown over three bath stars in a triangular formation, equivalent to a brigadier in the army. In all four forces, it is junior to the rank of assistant commissioner , and senior to the rank of chief superintendent , with the exception of Western Australia and Victoria where it is senior to the rank of superintendent . In New South Wales the position of commander is instated to officers (usually superintendents) in charge of
1078-642: A current reserve enlistment as a TR as a precondition for both hiring and continued career employment as an ART. In addition, all ART officers and ART enlisted personnel wear their uniforms and utilize their rank titles at all times when on duty, regardless if they are in a DAFC status or in a drilling or active duty military status. Most ART personnel are assigned to operational AFRC flying wings, groups and squadrons in various operational flying, aircraft maintenance and other support positions and functions, up to and including wing commander. Because ARTs are not eligible for DAFC retirement until reaching age 60, and because
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#17328451881541176-559: A larger number of full-time active duty Regular Air Force personnel. The Air Reserve Technician program saved the Air Force $ 13 million in 1958 $ USD ($ 132.8 million in 2022 $ USD) during its first year of operation. As of 2012, Air Reserve Technicians comprised over 10,500 of all personnel assigned in the Air Force Reserve Command, or approximately 15% of total AFRC manning. ART manpower in the Air National Guard comprised
1274-420: A minimum of three years at their present rank and after attaining 15 to 17 years of cumulative commissioned service, although this percentage may vary and be appreciably less for certain officer designators (i.e., primary "specialties") depending on defense budgets, force structure, and the needs of the service. For instance, as in various small colonial settlements (such as various Caribbean islands) commanding
1372-576: A month and an additional two weeks a year (e.g., 38 days). However, many Air Force Reservists, especially those in an active flying status, serve well in excess of this minimum duty requirement, often in excess of 120-man-days a year. A smaller but equally important category of TR is the Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA). IMAs are part-time Air Force Reservists who are assigned to active duty Air Force units and organizations, combat support agencies, Unified Combatant Commands and
1470-534: A retirement after 20 or more years, just like active members of the Regular Air Force. Another category of Air Force Reservists serving full-time are those in the Air Reserve Technician Program (ART). ARTs are accessed from either the active duty Regular Air Force, the AGR program, Traditional Guardsmen (TG) in the Air National Guard, or TRs in the Air Force Reserve. ARTs carry a dual status, working for
1568-580: A rotational basis while F-16s and combat rescue HH-60 Pave Hawks deployed to Incirlik Air Base , Turkey, for the no-fly operations. In 1993, when tensions mounted in Bosnia , Air Force Reserve tanker and fighter units participated in enforcing the Operation Deny Flight no-fly zone while airlift units ensured logistical resupply. Following Operation DESERT STORM in 1991, the Air Force increasingly relied on its Air Reserve Component, both AFRC and ANG, for
1666-515: A slightly higher percentage, numbering approximately 18,000 personnel or +/- 17% of total Air National Guard personnel strength in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. This article contains information that originally came from a US Government website, in the public domain. Air Force Reserve Command The Air Force Reserve Command ( AFRC )
1764-407: A title in certain circumstances, such as the commander of a squad of detectives, who would usually be of the rank of lieutenant, and in some police or sheriff's departments where commanders are ranks, officers or deputies of separate ranks are also referred to as commander by title. The Montreal police force, Service de police de la Ville de Montréal , uses the rank of commander (Commandant) . In
1862-636: Is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force , with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base , Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commissioned officers and enlisted airmen. Together, the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard constitute the Air Force element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces . AFRC also plays an integral role in
1960-627: Is a naval rank in Scandinavia ( Kommandør in Danish and Norwegian, Kommendör in Swedish) equivalent to the Anglo-American naval rank of captain. The Scandinavian rank of commander is immediately above "commander-captain" ( Norwegian : Kommandørkaptein , Swedish : Kommendörkapten , Danish : Kommandørkaptajn ), which is equivalent to the Anglo-American naval rank of commander. In Denmark,
2058-479: Is a senior-grade officer rank, with the pay grade of O-5. Commander ranks above lieutenant commander (O-4) and below captain . (O-6). Commander is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the United States Army , United States Air Force , United States Marine Corps , and United States Space Force . Notably, commander is the first rank at which the holder wears an embellished cap, whereas officers of
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#17328451881542156-518: Is above the rank of lieutenant commander , below the rank of captain , and is equivalent in rank to a lieutenant colonel in the army. A commander may command a frigate , destroyer , submarine , aviation squadron or shore installation, or may serve on a staff. Since the British Royal Air Force 's mid-rank officers' ranks are modelled on those of the Royal Navy , the term wing commander
2254-484: Is designated as mission commander. The commander is the captain of the ship, and makes all real-time critical decisions on behalf of the crew and in coordination with the Mission Control Center (MCC). The title of aircraft commander is used in civil aviation to refer to the pilot in command (commonly referred to as "captain", which is technically an airline rank and not related to the commander's role on board
2352-454: Is intended to eliminate confusion, especially in interaction with Active Component personnel and particularly in the cases of those AFRC and ANG units located on Active Component air force bases, space force bases, naval air stations, army air fields, or joint bases. In their technically "civil service" role, Air Reserve Technicians are physically located at their AFRC or ANG unit and provide full-time day-to-day support for their units throughout
2450-1018: Is managed by active duty Regular Coast Guard personnel. NOTE: As of June 2022, there is no designated Reserve Component for the U.S. Space Force . Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard space operations and space support units remain U.S. Air Force organizations within the Air Reserve Component. Air Reserve Technicians participate with both AGR personnel and other Traditional Reservists (TR) in AFRC units and Traditional Guardsmen (TG), also known as Drill Status Guardsmen (DSG) in ANG units during weekend unit training assemblies (UTAs), additional weekday or weekend drills (to include Additional Flying Training Periods, or AFTPs, for aeronautically rated officers and enlisted aircrew), annual training (AT) active duty tours, and additional active duty tours for training, operational support or special work (ADT / ADOS / ADSW),
2548-626: Is this dual military and civil service status that differentiates ARTs from their full-time counterparts in the Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve , especially those in their services' respective military aviation organizations, the Naval Air Reserve and the Marine Air Reserve , who perform functionally similar roles with similar flying units that are typically "combat coded" for a combat flying mission. Training and Administration of
2646-468: Is typically a lieutenant or captain , a squadron commander is typically a major or lieutenant colonel , a group commander is typically a colonel , a wing commander is typically a senior colonel or a brigadier general , a numbered air force commander is a major general or lieutenant general , and the commander of a major command is a general . In the United States Space Force ,
2744-620: Is used as a rank, and this is the equivalent of a lieutenant colonel in the army or a commander in the navy. The rank of wing commander is above that of squadron leader and below that of group captain . In the former Royal Naval Air Service , which was merged with the Royal Flying Corps to form the Royal Air Force in 1918, the pilots held appointments as well as their normal ranks in the Royal Navy, and they wore insignia appropriate to
2842-537: The Air Combat Command (ACC). AFRC's HC-130 and HH-60 combat search and rescue (CSAR) aircraft are also assigned to stand-alone flying units that are operationally aligned with ACC. A single AFRC bomb wing is equipped with the B-52 and is operationally aligned with Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). AFRC also operates stand-alone C-5 , C-17 , C-130 , C-40 , KC-46 and KC-135 units that are operated by
2940-536: The Air Force Reserve is strictly a "federal" reserve component under Title 10 U.S.C. and operates as an independent Major Command (MAJCOM) , i.e., Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). In combination with the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve comprises half of what is known as the Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the United States Air Force. AFRC forces are under the administrative control (ADCON) of
3038-638: The Air Mobility Command (AMC) and fly AMC's largest airlifters, the C-5 Galaxy , and the newest AMC global airlifter, the C-17 Globemaster III , with Air Force Reserve associate crews accounting for nearly 50 percent of the Air Force's total C-5 and C-17 air crew capability. AFRC also provides sole Formal Training Unit (FTU) functions in the C-5 for the Regular Air Force, the Air Force Reserve, and prior to
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3136-539: The Air Mobility Command (AMC). The Air Force Reserve also operates the WC-130 Hurricane Hunter in the weather reconnaissance mission and provides the sole USAF capability for this mission set. In tandem with Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), AFRC previously operated the MC-130E Combat Talon I aircraft until its retirement in 2013. AFRC's sole special operations wing currently operates
3234-643: The Army Reserve and the Army National Guard , with many assigned to Army Aviation units. Just as ARTs are DAFCs with a mandatory dual status in uniform full-time, MILTECHs are Department of the Army Civilians (DAC) with a mandatory full-time status in uniform. NOTE: While it has a traditional "part time" Coast Guard Reserve , the U.S. Coast Guard has no "full time" reserve programs analogous to ART or AGR. Management of Coast Guard Reserve personnel
3332-539: The C-146A Wolfhound , C-145A Skytruck , and U-28A , providing Formal Training Unit (FTU) functions for both the active duty Air Force and the Air Force Reserve on those aircraft. The 919 SOW also operates the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in the attack and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles. Nearly 70,000 reservists are assigned to specific Air Force Reserve units. These are
3430-552: The El Dorado Canyon raid on Libyan -sponsored terrorists in 1986, and acted as a full partner in Operation Just Cause which ousted Panama 's General Manuel Noriega in 1989–1990. Air Force Reservists also supported humanitarian and disaster relief efforts, including resupply and evacuation missions in the aftermath of 1989's Hurricane Hugo . The Reserve's continual volunteering allayed the concerns of those who believed
3528-578: The First Aid Nursing Yeomanry commander is a rank equivalent to major . Commandeur as title of colonial office was the case on the island of Tobago in the Dutch colony of Nieuw Walcheren . The usage is similar/identical to the British Army , with the term "commander" having been applied to the colonel who was Commander, 2 Land Force Group, Linton Camp, and now to Commander, 1 Brigade . In
3626-552: The Incident Command System the incident commander is in charge of the response to an emergency. The title may pass from person to person as the incident develops. The title of commander is used in chivalric orders such as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta for a member senior to a knight . The title of knight commander is often used to denote an even higher rank. These conventions are also used by most of
3724-695: The Joint Staff to do jobs that are essential in wartime or during contingency operations, but do not require full-time manning during times of peace. They report for duty a minimum of two days a month and twelve additional days a year, but like their Unit Program counterparts, many IMAs serve well in excess of the minimum military duty requirement, providing multiple weeks or months of active duty "man-days" in support of active duty USAF and joint commands. A smaller number of Reservists serve limited tours of extended active duty in an Active Duty Special Work (ADSW) status, usually at an Air Force headquarters staff level, in
3822-583: The Spanish Army , the Spanish Air Force and the marine infantry , the term commander is the literal translation of comandante , the Spanish equivalent of a Commonwealth major . The Guardia Civil shares the army ranks, and the officer commanding a house-garrison (usually an NCO or a lieutenant, depending on the size) is addressed as the comandante de puesto (post commander). In the United States Army ,
3920-598: The Total Force concept in August 1970 with Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger declaring it policy in 1973. With the implementation of the Total Force Policy, the Air Force Reserve became a multi-mission force, flying the same modern aircraft as the active Air Force. Mobilization planning and operational evaluation were integrated with the corresponding active duty functions. With the same equipment and budget authority,
4018-405: The United States Air Force , the term "commander" (abbreviated "CC" in office symbols, i.e. "OG/CC" for "operations group commander") is applied officially to the commanding officer of an Air Force unit; hence, there are flight commanders, squadron commanders, group commanders, wing commanders, numbered air force commanders, and commanders of major commands . In rank, a flight commander
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4116-471: The garrison was the crux of the top job, the military title Commandeur could be used instead of a civilian gubernatorial style, not unlike the Portuguese captain-major . In the British Army , the term "commander" is officially applied to the non-commissioned officer in charge of a section (section commander), vehicle (vehicle commander) or gun (gun commander), to the subaltern or captain commanding
4214-819: The AN/USQ-163 Falconer AOC weapons system. In associate programs with the Air Education and Training Command (AETC), AFRC support undergraduate pilot training by providing instructor pilots in the T-6 Texan II , T-38 Talon and T-1 Jayhawk . AFRC Space Operations associate units aligned with the United States Space Force also operate Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP), Defense Support Program (DSP) and Global Positioning System (GPS) Satellites as well as various cyber warfare systems. AFRC also operates numerous F-16 and A-10 aircraft in stand-alone AFRC fighter wings that are operationally aligned with
4312-465: The Air Force Reserve conducts two unique mission sets for which it possesses the sole USAF capability: A third unique mission set in the Air Force Reserve, Aerial Firefighting, is conducted in tandem with the Air National Guard and also has no counterpart in the Regular Air Force. Certain units of the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard can conduct forest fire and wildfire suppression missions using specially equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft using
4410-498: The Air Force Reserve was held to the same readiness standards and inspections as regular Air Force units. Special operations, air refueling, weather reconnaissance, and, once again, fighter missions were added to the airlift, rescue, and mission support roles performed by the Air Force Reserve. The associate concept soon expanded to include the C-5 Galaxy . Air Force Reserve participation in Air Force exercises and deployments perfected its mobility capabilities as demonstrated throughout
4508-539: The Air Force Reserve would not be available when really needed. Air Force Reserve airlift and tanker crews were flying within days of Saddam Hussein 's Invasion of Kuwait in August 1990. When ground operations commenced as part of Operation Desert Storm , Air Force Reserve A-10s from the NAS New Orleans –based 926th Tactical Fighter Group (926 TFG) operated close to the front lines along with Air Force Reserve special operations and rescue forces. A Reservist scored
4606-1119: The Air Force Reserve's airlift units flying their own unit-assigned C-130 Hercules aircraft, several of which have now integrated Active Associate units from the Regular Air Force. The C-130's speed, range, load-carrying characteristics and capability to operate under difficult terrain conditions make it an invaluable and versatile aircraft, strong enough to deliver its cargo on unimproved landing strips. Other AMC-aligned AFRC missions involve aeromedical evacuation and special air support operations. Air Combat Command (ACC) F-22A Raptor air dominance fighters, F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15E Strike Eagle multipurpose fighters, A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft, MQ-1 Predator remotely-piloted aircraft are jointly operated by ACC active duty personnel and AFRC aircrews via Associate units. Several AFRC Air Operations Centers (AOCs) also operate as stand alone units or in associate augmentation to ACC, AMC, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT) AOCs operating
4704-543: The Air Force as both full-time civil service employees and as uniformed military members in the same AFRC units where they work as Department of the Air Force Civilians (DAFC), performing the same job duties. Although "technically" civil servants part of the time, all ART officers must maintain a reserve commission on the Reserve Active Status List (RASL) as a TR and all ART enlisted personnel must maintain
4802-603: The Air Force to be more productive in meeting the global demands for primarily the Mobility Air Forces (MAF), the Air Force's cargo and aerial refueling aircraft, although the concept is now being extended to the Combat Air Forces (CAF), the Air Force's fighter, bomber, reconnaissance, rescue and special operations aircraft, as well. The result is a more cost-effective way to meet increasing mission requirements. Associate unit reservists are most heavily concentrated in
4900-454: The C-5's retirement from that component, the Air National Guard. AFRC also provides aerial refueling capability with aircrews operating AMC KC-10 Extenders in associate units and KC-135 Stratotankers in both associate and Air Reserve Component air mobility wings, air refueling wings and air refueling groups. Associate KC-10 units provide 50 percent of the KC-10 crews and contribute 50 percent to
4998-838: The Commander, Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC/CC). When activated or mobilized (e.g., under 10 U.S.C. §§ 12301(a), 12302, 12304, 12304a, or 12304b), combatant command authority (COCOM) transfers to the combatant commander to which the forces are assigned/attached and operational control (OPCON) transfers to the operational chain of command established by that commander. In addition, AFRC forces are also assigned to deployable Air Expeditionary Forces (AEFs) and are subject to deployment tasking orders along with their active duty Regular Air Force and part-time Air National Guard counterparts in their assigned deployment cycle window. The Air Force Reserve also contains other specialized capabilities not found in regular active duty Air Force units. For example,
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#17328451881545096-507: The District of Columbia also uses the rank of commander, which is a grade above inspector and two grades above captain. In the Montgomery County, MD police department a commander is a captain assigned to command a police district. The insignia worn is commonly every insignia between major and major general, depending on the police or sheriff's department. Albuquerque Police Department commanders are captain equivalents, however, with
5194-510: The Navy Reserve TAR and Marine Corps AR personnel operate in a continuous active duty track with associated permanent change of station (PCS) reassignments similar to, but somewhat distinctive from, their Regular Navy and Regular Marine Corps counterparts. NOTE: The U.S. Army also has a Military Technician (MILTECH) program nearly identical to the USAF ART program, as well as AGRs, in both
5292-468: The Ready Reserve, Standby Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve or Retired Reserve: A USAF Associate Unit is a unit where active duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members combine forces and missions using " Total Force " concept integration. The Air Force Reserve Command Associate Program provides trained crews and maintenance personnel for active-duty owned aircraft. This unique program pairs
5390-752: The Reserve (TAR) personnel (known as from Full Time Support (FTS) personnel 2005 to 2021) in the Navy, and Active Reserve (AR) personnel in the Marine Corps, while technically members of their respective Reserve Components, are actually full-time active duty career personnel assigned to the Reserve Components of their respective services. In this sense, they are very similar to the Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) Air Force personnel also assigned to AFRC and ANG units, although
5488-546: The United States Code (Title 10 U.S.C.), is to: "Provide combat-ready units and individuals for active duty whenever there are not enough trained units and people in the Regular component of the Air Force to perform any national security mission." Unlike the Air National Guard , which alternates between a "state" status and a "federal" status via both Title 32 of the United States Code (Title 32 U.S.C.) and Title 10 U.S.C.,
5586-532: The United States in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard and other agencies. There are several categories of service for personnel in the Air Force Reserve. Most Air Force Reservists are part-time Traditional Reservists (TR) who serve in the Unit Program , in which they are required to report for duty with their parent Air Force Reserve Command unit, typically a wing, group or squadron, at least one weekend
5684-404: The active duty unit, providing only manpower. To take advantage of the synergies and aircraft, active duty units are now being stood up at what were previously Air Force Reserve Command or Air National Guard locations, where the Air Reserve Component organization technically "owns" the aircraft, but share them with an active duty squadron, group or wing that provides additional manning. This enables
5782-528: The aftermath of Desert Storm, Air Force Reservists continued to serve and were heavily involved in both Operation Northern Watch and Operation Southern Watch during the 1990s, enforcing the United Nations-mandated no-fly zones over northern and southern Iraq as well as in humanitarian relief missions during Operation Provide Comfort to assist uprooted Iraqi Kurds. For over six years, Air Force Reserve C-130s performed these Provide Comfort missions on
5880-715: The aircraft). Within the British police , Commander is a chief officer rank in the two police forces responsible for law enforcement within London , the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police . In both forces, the rank is senior to chief superintendent ; in the Metropolitan Police it is junior to deputy assistant commissioner and in the City of London Police it is junior to assistant commissioner . In forces outside London,
5978-619: The appointment instead of the rank. A flight commander wore a star above a lieutenant's two rank stripes, squadron commander wore two stars above two rank stripes (less than eight years' seniority) or two-and-a-half rank stripes (over eight years seniority), and wing commander wore three rank stripes. The rank stripes had the usual Royal Navy curl, and they were surmounted by an eagle. In the United States Navy , United States Coast Guard , United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps , and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps , commander (abbreviated "CDR")
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#17328451881546076-440: The associate force in 1981, expanding its air refueling capability. Fighter units obtained the more modern A-10 Thunderbolt II ground support aircraft and F-4 Phantom IIs , and in 1984, the Air Force Reserve received its first F-16A Fighting Falcon . Operationally, the Air Force Reserve participated in Operation Urgent Fury , the return of American students from Grenada in 1983, performed air refuelings of F-111 bombers during
6174-413: The brass version of the captain's insignia. In some other police or sheriff's departments where the captains have brass insignias instead of silver, such as Florida's Lee County Sheriff's Department, commanders are above captains, and below majors, with the insignia being brass captain's bars with wreathes around. Northport's police commanders have the insignia of second lieutenants. Commander is also used as
6272-475: The continental orders of chivalry. The United Kingdom uses different classifications. In most of the British orders of knighthood, the grade of knight (or dame) commander is the lowest grade of knighthood, but is above the grade of companion (which does not carry a knighthood). In the Royal Victorian Order and the Order of the British Empire , the grade of commander is senior to the grade of lieutenant or officer, but junior to that of knight or dame commander. In
6370-703: The day-to-day Air Force mission and is not strictly a force held in reserve for possible war or contingency operations. AFRC also supports the United States Space Force through the 310th Space Wing , pending the creation of a space reserve component. The federal reserve component of the United States Air Force , AFRC has approximately 450 aircraft assigned for which it has sole control, as well as access to several hundred additional active duty USAF aircraft via AFRC "Associate" wings that are collocated with active duty Air Force wings, sharing access to those same active duty Air Force aircraft. The inventory, both AFRC-controlled and active duty Regular Air Force-controlled, includes
6468-427: The enlisted ART work force, where they average 17 years of job experience. Security Forces personnel also comprise a significant number of the enlisted ART force. The ART program was first implemented in 1958 as the result of an Air Force study which showed that Air Force Reservists and Air National Guardsmen could be trained, and their operational readiness maintained, by fewer full-time Air Reserve Technicians than by
6566-426: The equivalent rank standing of commanders. This means that to officers and NCOs below the rank of commander, lieutenant colonel, or wing commander, the chaplain is a superior. To those officers ranked higher than commander, the chaplain is subordinate. Although this equivalency exists, RAN chaplains who are in divisions 1, 2 or 3 do not actually wear the rank of commander, and they hold no command privilege. Commander
6664-407: The first-ever A-10 air-to-air kill. When Operations Desert Shield/Storm ended, the Air Force Reserve counted 23,500 Reservists mobilized with another 15,000 serving in a volunteer capacity. The Air Force Reserve had become indistinguishable from the active force in capability; there was no difference between an Air Force Reserve pilot and an active duty pilot, or a boom operator, or loadmaster. In
6762-429: The force, serve full-time as ARTs. Air Force Reserve Command consists of three Numbered Air Forces : Fourth Air Force (4 AF) March Air Reserve Base , California Tenth Air Force (10 AF) Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base / Carswell Field , Texas Twenty-Second Air Force (22 AF) Dobbins Air Reserve Base , Georgia The Air Force Reserve (AFRES)
6860-460: The joint combatant commands, or in other special assignments. Their job is to bring Air Force Reserve expertise to the planning and decision-making processes at senior levels within the Air Force, other services, and the Unified Combatant Commands . Like the Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve Command also requires two categories of full-time personnel to perform functions that require full-time manning. These full-time positions are filled via
6958-426: The latest, most capable models of aircraft that are assigned to the U.S. Air Force. On any given day, 99 percent of AFRC's aircraft are mission-ready and able to deploy within 72 hours. In addition to flying units, AFRC has numerous ground organizations ranging from medical units to civil engineers, intelligence, and security forces, just to name a few. The purpose of the Air Force Reserve, as derived from Title 10 of
7056-902: The latter also referred to as "man days" for duty in both the Continental United States (CONUS) and outside the Continental United States (OCONUS). ART personnel are also subject to mobilization/recall to full active duty with the Regular Air Force pursuant to Title 10 U.S.C 12301 and 12302 and subsequent assignment to Regular Air Force or joint U.S. military organizations. In this instance, they may be "mobilized" as individuals and assigned to other units, or as part of their parent AFRC or ANG unit being "mobilized" (to include "federalized" for ANG) all or in part for duty in CONUS and/or OCONUS, to include designated combat zones as part of Air and Space Expeditionary Forces (AEF). ART personnel are predominantly assigned to operational AFRC and ANG flying units at
7154-598: The maintenance force. Air Force Reservists also contribute about 13 percent of total KC-135 aerial refueling requirements. In another alignment with AMC, more than 9,100 Air Force Reservists train in the C-130 Hercules theater airlift mission in a variety of aircrew, aircraft maintenance and support skills as both stand alone AFRC units and in "Associate" arrangements with Regular Air Force and Air National Guard C-130 units. In wartime, AFRC provides 23 percent of Air Force's total C-130 theater airlift force, with nearly half of
7252-540: The navy of the Dutch Republic , anyone who commanded a ship or a fleet without having an appropriate rank to do so could be called a Commandeur . This included ad hoc fleet commanders and acting captains ( Luitenant-Commandeur ). In the fleet of the Admiralty of Zeeland however, commandeur was a formal rank, the equivalent of Schout-bij-nacht (rear-admiral) in the other Dutch admiralties. The Dutch use of
7350-550: The new Air Expeditionary Task Force (AEF) concepts. Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr. ) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many armies . Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries, this naval rank is termed as a frigate captain . Commander is also a generic term for an officer commanding any armed forces unit, for example " platoon commander ", " brigade commander" and " squadron commander". In
7448-402: The ninth time the Air Force had requested a mobilization of Air Force Reserve units and personnel since 1950. In summary, Reservists provided 150,000 mandays of support that spanned the spectrum of Air Force missions. The Air Force Reserve once again proved itself as an adaptable and capable force, ready to perform the full range of Air Force operations on an integrated and daily basis in sync with
7546-520: The organizational placement of the Air Force Reserve (AFRES) in the larger active duty Air Force organizational structure. Accordingly, in February 1997, the Air Force Reserve (AFRES) officially became the Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC), the Air Force's ninth major command. Between March and September 1999, Air Force Reservists volunteered and were also mobilized for Operation Allied Force operations over Serbia and Kosovo . The involuntary recall marked
7644-532: The other military services are entitled to embellishment of similar headgear at O-4 rank. Promotion to commander in the U.S. Navy is governed by United States Department of Defense policies derived from the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA) of 1980 or its companion Reserve Officer Personnel Management Act (ROPMA). DOPMA/ROPMA guidelines suggest that 70% of lieutenant commanders should be promoted to commander after serving
7742-467: The palletized Modular Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS). Along with its Regular Air Force and Air National Guard partners, the Air Force Reserve also participates in national and international humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) missions as directed by higher authority. Like their Air National Guard counterparts, the Air Force Reserve also supports counter-narcotics (CN) operations by performing detection and interdiction efforts outside
7840-459: The people who are obligated to report for duty for a minimum one weekend each month and two weeks of annual training a year, with most performing many additional days of military duty. Reserve aircrews, for example, average more than 120 military duty days a year, often flying in support of national objectives at home and around the world. Air Reserve Technicians (ARTs), the special group of reservists who work as Air Force civil service employees during
7938-518: The police, terms such as " borough commander" and " incident commander " are used. Commander is a rank used in navies , but is very rarely used as a rank in armies . In most armies, the term "commander" is used as a job title. For example, in the US Army , an officer with the rank of captain ( NATO rank code OF-2 ) may hold the title of " company commander ", whereas an officer with the rank of lieutenant colonel ( NATO rank code OF-4 ) typically holds
8036-441: The rank equates to assistant chief constable which bears the same insignia. The Metropolitan Police introduced the rank in 1946, after the rank of deputy assistant commissioner was split in two, with senior DACs keeping that rank and title and junior DACs being regraded as commanders. The Metropolitan Police also used the rank of deputy commander , ranking just below that of commander, between 1946 and 1968. Officers in charge of
8134-457: The rank of commander due to the size, complexity, and high-profile nature of the borough. The Metropolitan Police Service announced that by summer 2018 the rank would be phased out, along with that of chief inspector . However, in August 2017 it was announced that the new Commissioner Cressida Dick had cancelled the plan to phase them out. The rank badge worn by a commander or an assistant chief constable consists of crossed tipstaves within
8232-402: The rank of commander exists as kommandørkaptajn (commander captain or commanding captain), which is senior to orlogskaptajn (captain) and kommandør (commander), which is senior to kommandørkaptajn . Kommandørkaptajn is officially translated into English as "Commander, Senior Grade", while orlogskaptajn is officially translated as '"Commander." A commander in the Royal Navy
8330-461: The same AFRC or ANG units where they work as civil servants, performing the same job function whether in a DAFC or a military status. ARTs are unique among DoD civil servants in that all commissioned officers and all enlisted personnel are required to wear their uniforms and utilize their rank titles at all times, whether in a DAFC civil service, regular drill, additional drill, or active duty status. The full-time use of military titles by ART personnel
8428-763: The same two programs as employed by the Air National Guard: the Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) program and the Air Reserve Technician (ART) program. Air Force Reservists who become members of the Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) receive full active duty pay and benefits just like active duty members of any branch of the armed forces. The majority of AGRs are former TRs and they serve four-year controlled tours of special duty that can be renewed. Many AGRs serve with operational AFRC flying and non-flying wings and groups; at active and reserve numbered air forces; on
8526-500: The seventies. This was most notable during Operation Nickel Grass , the Israeli assistance airlift of 1973, with some 630 crew members volunteering for Middle East missions including flying into Ben Gurion Airport , Tel Aviv. Another 1,590 Reservists performed missions worldwide, freeing up additional active crews to support the airlift. The 1980s saw the modernization and expansion of the Air Force Reserve program. KC-10 Extenders joined
8624-612: The staffs of other USAF Major Commands (MAJCOMs), Field Operating Agencies (FOAs) and Direct Reporting Units (DRUs); on the Air Staff at Headquarters, U.S. Air Force (HAF); on the staffs of Unified Combatant Commands ; on the Joint Staff and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). AFRC Recruiting is another field that employs AGR personnel. AGRs also have the option with good performance to serve 20 or more years on active duty and receive
8722-468: The term "commander" is applied officially to the commanding officer of a Space Force unit; hence, there are squadron commanders, delta commanders, and commanders of field commands . In rank, a squadron commander is a lieutenant colonel , a delta commander is a colonel , and the commander of a field command is a major general or lieutenant general . In NASA spacecraft missions since the beginning of Project Gemini , one crew member on each spacecraft
8820-410: The term "commander" is officially applied to the commanding officer of army units; hence, there are company commanders , battalion commanders , brigade commanders , and so forth. At the highest levels of U.S. military command structure, "commander" also refers to what used to be called commander-in-chief , or CINC, until October 24, 2002, although the term CINC is still used in casual speech. In
8918-468: The term "master and commander" remained (unofficially) in common parlance for several years. The equivalent American rank master commandant remained in use until changed to commander in 1838. A corresponding rank in some navies is frigate captain . In the 20th and 21st centuries, the rank has been assigned the NATO rank code of OF-4. Various functions of commanding officers were also styled commander . In
9016-833: The title as a rank lives on in the Royal Netherlands Navy , as the equivalent of commodore . In the Royal Netherlands Air Force , however, this rank is known by the English spelling of commodore which is the Dutch equivalent of the British air commodore . The rank of commander in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is identical in description to that of a commander in the British Royal Navy . RAN chaplains who are in divisions 1, 2 or 3 (of five divisions) have
9114-530: The title of " battalion commander". The title, originally "master and commander", originated in the 18th century to describe naval officers who commanded ships of war too large to be commanded by a lieutenant but too small to warrant the assignment of a post-captain and (before about 1770) a sailing master ; the commanding officer served as his own master. In practice, these were usually unrated sloops-of-war of no more than 20 guns. The Royal Navy shortened "master and commander" to "commander" in 1794; however,
9212-436: The twelve geographical Basic Command Units are referred to as "BCU commander". However, the officers do not hold the rank of commander but instead hold the rank of chief superintendent. Prior to organisational change merging boroughs in to BCUs, officers in charge of policing each of the London's boroughs were given the title "borough commander". A previous exception to this was the borough commander of Westminster , who held
9310-415: The week in the same jobs they hold as reservists on drill weekends and active duty periods, provide a degree of continuity that serves to make the Air Force Reserve a relevant combat force. ARTs are the full-time backbone of the unit training program, providing day-to-day leadership, administrative and logistical support, and operational continuity for their units. More than 9,500 reservists, over 15 percent of
9408-1696: The wing, group and squadron level, with a lesser number assigned to MAJCOMs, NAFs, non-flying units and staffs. Their jobs span a broad spectrum within these organizations, including commander at the squadron, group and wing level, as well as various other Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSCs). For commissioned officers , these AFSCs include, but are not limited to, Pilots , Navigators/ Combat Systems Officers , and Air Battle Managers in nearly every USAF Mission Design Series (MDS) aircraft, to include flight instructors , tactics instructors and standardization/evaluators in those aircraft. Other roles include space operations officers , Combat Rescue Officers (CROs), Aircraft Maintenance Officers (MXOs), Civil Engineering (CE) Officers, Intelligence Officers, Security Forces officers, Logistics Readiness Officers (LROs), nurses (including flight nurses ), meteorologists , and administrative, personnel and other force support officers. Enlisted ARTs are composed of enlisted aircrew positions such as flight engineer , loadmaster , pararescueman , air refueling boom operator, airborne operations/battle management systems technician, aerial gunner, flight attendant, and aerial photographer as well as non-flying enlisted positions such as aircraft maintenance technician, avionics maintenance technician, air traffic controller, fire fighter, Security Forces, airfield operations, civil engineering, communications, command post, logistics, medical technician, dental technician, and administrative personnel. ARTs comprise approximately 17 percent of total AFRC and ANG unit manpower, with aircraft and avionics maintenance employing roughly 60 percent of
9506-460: The year, be it at the squadron, group, wing, numbered air force (NAF) or major command (MAJCOM) level. Because uniformed military reserve status is a pre-condition of their employment as DAFC civil servants, ARTs, specifically senior officers and senior enlisted, are typically exempt from the mandatory retirement dates for their military pay grades and are retained in uniform until reaching civil service retirement eligibility, notionally at age 60. It
9604-452: Was created as a separate operating agency (SOA) and replaced a major command – Continental Air Command – which inactivated in August 1968. Upon activation, AFRES assumed command of all personnel, equipment and aircraft previously assigned to ConAC. As the 1970s unfolded, the challenge then was to find the right mix of forces for mission effectiveness. Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird adopted
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