Active Guard and Reserve

  • Published
  • By Tyler Grimes
In today’s Air Force Reserve, there are many career paths and options for Reserve Citizen Airmen currently serving. One of these options is the Active Guard and Reserve program, which offers many unique benefits for Reservists who are willing to serve on a full-time basis.

Capt. Matthew Harding, AGR Assignments Branch chief at the Air Reserve Personnel Center located at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado, said the program provides Reservists the eligibility to receive the same pay and benefits as members of the active duty Air Force.

“For both Reserve and regular Air Force members it is an opportunity to continue their career and combine years of active service with an AGR tour to be one step closer to earning active duty retirement,” Harding said. “Additionally, each year a member is on AGR orders is 365 points towards Reserve retirement. If a member is pursuing a Reserve retirement it is a huge boost for them.”

An AGR tour can be seen as a force development opportunity that enhances a Reservist’s resume, providing a different perspective and mission focus or steer a career on a new path altogether.

The initial AGR tour is three years with the possibility of continuation in that position for up to two more years. At that point, the Reservist can apply for and be selected for another tour in a new position. After six years in the AGR program, members are no longer probationary and can be entered into the career program.

Currently, there are AGR positions available in every wing across Air Force Reserve Command and at other major commands. In addition, there are AGR positions within the Recruiting Service at all Air Force bases.

As of this year, there are more than 3,600 AGR positions across the command and that number is expected to continue to grow in the coming years, according to Harding.

Col. Dion Flynn, headquarters AFRC chief of AGR Transition, explained that AFRC is preparing to adjust the Air Force Reserve full-time support force mix and convert approximately 1,200 Air Reserve Technician positions to AGR positions.

“These ART to AGR conversions will be resourced through the Fiscal Year 2020 Program Objective Memorandum cycle and phased in from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2022,” Flynn said.

Brig. Gen. Anne Gunter, Office of Air Force Reserve Personnel Director, is working with her Human Capital Management Leadership Team to ensure Reservists have AGR opportunities as well as to improve effective manning and meet end strength for the Air Force Reserve.

“The HCMLT is aggressively working every day removing barriers and easing transition between statuses,” Gunter said. “We have begun a comprehensive review of all AGR policies, processes and systems to ensure lethality and readiness to provide an agile, combat ready force.”

For more information on the AGR program, visit the myPers webpage (https://mypers.af.mil) and select Air Force Reserve Active Guard/Reserve Program.