Air Reserve Technicians, commonly referred to as ARTs, are a nucleus of managers, planners and trainers who have knowledge and expertise to smooth Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) and Air National Guard (ANG) units' transition from a peacetime to a wartime environment. They provide management continuity, equipment maintenance and training support to help keep their units combat ready.[1]
Air Reserve Technicians carry dual status, working as full-time civil service employees for the Air Force and as military members in the same AFRC or ANG units where they work as Air Force civilians and performing the same job.[2]
In their civilian role, Air Reserve Technicians provide full-time support throughout the month for their units. Air Reserve Technicians participate with other traditional reservists in AFRC and traditional guardsmen in ANG on weekend unit training assemblies, additional weekday or weekend drills, annual training active duty tours and additional active duty tours for training or operational support. ART personnel are also subject to recall to full active duty with the Regular Air Force pursuant to Title 10 U.S.C 12301 and 12302.
ART jobs span a broad spectrum, including commander at the squadron, group and wing level, pilot, navigator/Combat Systems Officer, flight instructor, aircraft mechanic, nurse (including flight nurse), aircraft maintenance officer, loadmaster and personnel officer. ARTs comprise approximately 17 percent of the AFRC and ANG unit manpower with aircraft maintenance employing about 60 percent of the technician work force, where they average 17 years of job experience.
The program was implemented in 1958 as the result of a study, which showed that Air Force Reservists and Air National Guardsmen could be trained by fewer Air Reserve Technicians than by full-time active duty USAF personnel. The Air Reserve Technician program saved the Air Force $13 million (in 1958 $USD) during its first year of operation.
There are approximately 10,000 Air Reserve Technicians assigned in the AFRC and a slightly higher number in the ANG.
This article contains information that originally came from a US Government website, in the public domain.