Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command at Robins AFB is responsible for providing logistics support and ensuring combat readiness for more than 76,100 Air Force reservists nationwide. Known as "Citizen Airmen," these reservists play an integral role in our national defense and are vital to the effectiveness of the U.S. military in combat.

The command has three numbered air forces divided into 36 wings, three flying groups, one space group, and more than 600 subordinate units. These units are on active-duty or reserve bases in 29 states. The Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver reports directly to the command. The center serves reservists in the Individual Mobilization Augmentee Program who work in all the other major commands as well as most of the Air Force's field operating agencies and direct reporting units.

Because of the ability to call up forces only when needed, AFRC is very cost-effective, providing 20 percent of the Air Force's capability for about 4 percent of the total Air Force budget. Through its reserve components, the Air Force retains experienced professionals. About 93 percent of AFRC aircrews and 86 percent of the support troops previously served on active duty, averaging more than 12 years of experience.

Since 1950, the Air Force Reserve has taken part in nearly every one of our nation's humanitarian, peace-keeping and military operations around the world. In the beginning of 2005, about 4,000 reservists were on mobilized status by the president, and about 2,500 volunteered in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism. These reservists are deployed in various countries, including Afghanistan and Iraq as well as in the United States for homeland defense.

"Citizen Airmen" balance the demands of their military service with those of their families and civilian employers. To make the Air Force mission a success, reservists go "above and beyond" the commitments of civilian life, balancing military service with their civilian jobs.

AFRC has four categories of full- and part-time duty reservists. "Traditional" unit reservists train part time as a unit—at least one weekend each month along with two weeks of annual training each year and deploy when required. Individual mobilization augmentees or IMAs are assigned part time to active-duty units and usually backfill or deploy when required. Another category of reservists belong to the Active Guard and Reserve program. These reservists work full time on active duty. Air reserve technicians work full time in dual roles as federal civilian employees and reservists to ensure unit readiness and training continuity.

The headquarters staff is a mix of active-duty, reservists on active-duty tours, air reserve technicians and civil service employees. Directorates within the headquarters include operations, logistics, financial management, communications, personnel, public affairs, services, history, staff judge advocate, health services, recruiting and more.

Reserve, active-duty and National Guard Airmen work together as equal partners in the Total Force providing frontline troops actively engaged in worldwide missions. The command has several unique missions in the Air Force and is the sole provider of aerial weather reconnaissance, fixed-wing aerial spray missions, and search and rescue for Space Shuttle missions. Other specialized missions include cleaning oil spills, assisting the nation's counter-drug efforts and firefighting with the U.S. Forest Service.

AFRC owns nearly 400 aircraft and flies hundreds more through the associate program with active-duty units. It uses equipment on the leading edge of technology in air, space and cyberspace. Reserve fighters, bombers, tankers, cargo aircraft, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets integrate seamlessly with the active force and Air National Guard to accomplish the mission successfully. Command aircraft include the A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II, B-52 Stratofortress, F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, HH-60 Pave Hawk, C-5 Galaxy, C-9 Nightingale, KC-135 Stratotanker, MC-130 Combat Talon I and C-130 Hercules including models C-130E/H/J, HC-130N/P and WC-130J.