Liberty Wing hosts IRR Muster

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Zachary Cacicia
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. – The 512th Airlift Wing hosted an Individual Ready Reserve Muster April 21 at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware.

“It’s a screening event that is mandated by law,” said Maj. Andrew Williams, 512th Force Support Squadron commander. “These IRR members are still subject to mobilization if called.”

The IRR comprises of members who no longer train with combat-ready Reserve units but are qualified in their fields and are eligible to be recalled in the event of national emergency. These members have served previously in the active or reserve component of the Air Force, and some period of their military service obligation remains.

For example, when an individual enlists into the Air Force, signing a six-year contract to serve active duty, the individual accrued an eight-year military service commitment. So, if that person completes their six-year contract without reenlisting, they will separate from active duty and spend the remaining two years in the IRR. These members are not assigned to a unit, and they do not take part in unit training assemblies. They are only required to attend one of these annual musters when contacted to do so.

“The intent of this muster is to verify that we have up-to-date personal contact information and medical information,” said Williams.

The Air Reserve Personnel Center at Buckley AFB, Colorado, ordered all IRR members who reside within 150 miles from Dover AFB to attend. A total of 95 IRR members participated in this muster.

Williams said IRR musters typically take place at nearly 25 stateside Air Force bases each year.

“The alternate added benefit of hosting an IRR muster is the recruiting piece,” said Williams. “Everyone here is a pretrained asset. So, it’s an opportunity for people who have been out of the game for a while to perhaps come back into the Selected Reserve in a participating status.”

A four-person team of Air Force Reserve recruiters were on hand to talk to any IRR members wishing to learn about Air Force Reserve opportunities.

One of these recruiters was the base’s Reserve in-service recruiter Master Sgt. Heather Lucas-Baptiste.

“We’re here because these individuals in the IRR still hold skill levels from their prior service,” said Lucas-Baptiste. “We would like to bring some of them back in, because they already have the training and military bearing. Plus, it saves the Air Force money.”

Lucas-Baptiste said reenlisting an IRR member saves the Air Force money, because they do not have to be sent to Basic Military Training; and, in most cases, they do not have to be sent to technical training.

“We would like to see as many of them as we can,” she said. “We may get only 2 or 3 percent of those here today; but, even if we get just one, it’s worth it for the Air Force Reserve.”

By the end of the three-hour event, Lucas-Baptiste said the recruiting team got 12 leads on members who are considering the Air Force Reserve as a career option.