931st members breaking total-force records

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Jason Schaap
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Reservists of the 931st Air Refueling Group enter 2010 supporting Team McConnell more than they ever have before. Lt. Col. Jon Woods, a total-force gatekeeper of sorts for the 931st, has the numbers that prove it.

Colonel Woods is in charge of planning for the Group's operations support flight and carries the collateral-duty title of "military personnel appropriation funding acquisition chief." Translated, he oversees the matching of 931st Reservists with Regular Air Force personnel needs.

Last year was a busy year for Colonel Woods and the 931st. The 21,452 days 931st Airmen worked while on MPA orders in fiscal year 2009 was record-breaking. And the Group's pace of support hasn't let up.

"FY10 MPA numbers are looking just as impressive," Colonel Woods said. "I have a feeling we're going to break (the record) again this year."

The 22nd Air Refueling Wing, the 931st's Regular Force host unit here, is Colonel Woods' primary client. Backfilling the 22nd ARW, he said, has accounted for the "biggest gain" in MPA days for Reservists here. The 22nd's high deployment rate is driving the increase. So much so that funds beyond those already keeping the record MPA pace have been approved for 22nd backfills.

"They need us that bad," Colonel Woods said. "The 22nd is screaming for our help."

Senior Master Sgt. James Kirk gets to hear much of the "screaming." He's the 931st's designated contact for 22nd maintenance help requests and he's less than shouting distance away to hear them.

Sergeant Kirk is a member of the 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, but his work desk is located in the heart of the 22nd's maintenance operations hangar. Like other 931st Airmen who have become part of a total-force integration trend at McConnell, Sergeant Kirk literally works side-by-side with his 22nd counterparts.

His geographical location makes not just logistical, but statistical sense. About a third of the 931st's record-breaking MPA totals last year fulfilled 22nd maintenance requests. Most of those days were spent by Reservists maintaining KC-135 Stratotankers on the McConnell AFB flightline.

"They're holding the fort down, they really are," Sergeant Kirk said about the flightline augmentees. "The active-duty is deployed ... they can't live without us."

Maj. William Holt is commander of the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. His unit received more MPA support from the 931st last year than any other.

"Our 931st partners have stepped up in a mighty way to assist us," Major Holt said. "From the (Reserve) maintainers we have working on the flightline and in our support section, to the personnel keeping the administrative mission going, there has been nothing but stellar support."

Maintainers are the most requested, but they are just one of the many types of Reserve volunteers Colonel Woods gets asked about. Requests "come from all over," he said, both on McConnell and off.

A 931st pilot, for example, often fulfills MPA orders with Regular Forces at Fairchild AFB, Wash. A 931st security forces member who lives in Oklahoma does MPA days at Tinker AFB.

"We've got them peppered about," Colonel Woods said.

Senior Airman Brad Enochs, another 931st security forces Airman, has been on MPA days with the 22nd ARW for three years and has worked his way up to an investigator position at McConnell.

"If not for us," Airman Enochs said, "(the 22nd security forces) would be really short on manpower ... there have been days when the Reserve and Guard (security force augmentees) outweighed the number of active-duty."

Col. Ron Langford is commander of the 22nd Operations Group, the entity that makes sure the mission of McConnell AFB happens. Shortfalls in his unit created a need for six 931st ARG officers "essential" to the "day-to-day mission," the colonel said.

"The 931st Reserve professionals have added value in nearly every aspect of my flying mission," Colonel Langford added. "I rely on their experience to efficiently execute the daily flying schedule, train my young inexperienced crew force, enforce the standards required of professional aviators and process/supply quality mobility assets to the nation's war fighters. In addition, I heavily rely on my Reserve officers for the continuity that is so easily lost as my active-duty aviators PCS every three years. In short, I can't be more pleased with the support the 931st Reserve Airmen provide."

The 22nd ARW's civil engineer squadron, military support flight, aerospace medicine flight, logistics readiness squadron and finance management office were among the other units to receive MPA support from the 931st ARG in FY09. McConnell Reservists also volunteered for 2,270 MPA days supporting Operations Noble Eagle, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Reservists of the 931st Air Refueling Group enter 2010 with reason to be proud of their role in Team McConnell and in today's Air Force. Just ask Colonel Woods. He can offer at least 21,452 reasons why.


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Click here to view a slideshow of photos related to 931st total-force efforts.