Becoming an Officer in the Air Force Reserve

What Is The Air Force Reserve?

The Air Force Reserve is a major command of the United States Air Force. Unlike the Army Reserve or Air National Guard, the Air Force Reserve is actually not a reserve in the strictest sense of the word. The Air Force Reserve plays a regular and daily role in global U.S. Air Force operations. While that has also been the case for the National Guard and other Reserve formations since September 11th, the Air Force Reserve serves in regular active duty roles by design. For example, elements of the Air Force Reserve have regular air defense duties over the skies of North America. The Air Force Reserve has an establishment of 74,000 personnel and almost 450 aircraft.

The Air Force Reserve receives recruits both from personnel leaving the active military, and from civilians. There are two routes for becoming an officer in the Air Force Reserve.

Transition From A Serving Officer in the Air Force to the Reserve

Serving officers in the U.S. Air Force will keep their standing commissions when making the switch to the Air Force Reserve, so long as they are moving to a similar role. So a transport pilot ranked as Major in the Air Force going to the Reserve would still be a major if serving as a transport pilot in the Reserve. However, if the same Major were trying to move to a staff assignment, his rank might be adjusted. However, he would still remain a commissioned officer, regardless of the outcome of the adjustment. Officers joining from other Armed Forces are automatically subject to grade adjustment, but will also remain commissioned officers regardless of the outcome.

Have a College Degree

Enlisted personnel with a 4-year degree can become officers through the Deserving Airman Commissioning Program (DACP). In some cases, an agreement can be made to enter DACP prior to enlistment, but usually one must enlist first and then be selected fo DACP at the discretion of her base commander.

Resources

• Air Force Reserve