Reserve Unit Hosts Individual Ready Reserve Muster

  • Published
  • By Capt. Shane Huff
  • 927th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 927th Air Refueling Wing Military Personnel Flight conducted an Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) enhanced muster over the weekend at the MacDill Chapel annex.  A total of 118 members attended.

All members who entered the Armed Forces on or after 1 June 1984 incurred, by law, a military service obligation (MSO) of 8 years. Members will be assigned to the IRR until they complete their MSO. Officers only-- upon expiration of their MSO, will be retained in Reserve status unless they voluntarily resign their commission, meet the criteria for discharge, or qualify for transfer to the Retired Reserve.

IRR members may be ordered to return to active duty involuntarily in the event of war, national emergency, or as prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. HQ ARPC will normally notify the members by orders if selected for recall. HQ ARPC will provide the members with reporting instructions and will try to give them at least 5 days advance notice before they must begin to travel.

The overall purpose and structure of the muster is to gather and maintain IRR member contact information and availability for activation of IRR members to support a partial, total or full mobilization activation scenario.  The concept behind IRR is to ensure the nation always has a warrior bank of mission ready Air Guardsmen and Reservists for mobilization and USAF augmentation.

Debi Young from the Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver, Co. was there to observe the muster. "We are conducting an experiment with reserve units, there are five test bases and this is one of them," said Young.  Historically active duty have conducted these musters.

"The muster was a smooth process, the people hosting were great and very accomodating," said Mr. Kelly Wells.  Wells works for the Bartow County Sherriff's office and was there to attend the muster.

Several vendors from the Veterans' Administration, Air Force Reserve Recruiting, Military One Source, and the Tampa Vet Center were also there to provide information to those in attendance.