The Air Force Reserves is looking to expand, so they did what any good government organization would do: they sought help from the very people they tried to fire two years earlier.

To hire over 8,800 new reservists in FY09, the AF is asking the very same loyal reservists who they tried to eliminate in 2007 to help with their recruitment efforts.

Chief of the Air Force Reserves, Lieutenant General Charles E. Stenner, Jr., sent an email to reservists urging them to share their Air Force Reserve experiences with their friends and family and let them know about the many job openings available.

“The strength of our Air Force Reserve depends on recruiting Americans who will uphold the high standards you have set. Your personal involvement will ensure the next generation of Airmen shares your professionalism and dedication to maintaining our nation’s freedoms,” Stenner wrote. 

If patriotism isn’t enough motivation, the email also included the exciting news that reservists who refer their friends will be eligible for awards such as an iPod, HDTV or laptop computer.

That is quite a change in tune from 2007, when the Air Force Reserve announced they would eliminate 7,700 personnel authorizations as a result of the Air Force’s recapitalization and modernization efforts. Certified letters were sent to select reservists with fewer than 18 years of service telling them they would be forced to move from paid to non-paid positions, separate or retire.

Affected reservists received a memo from Lieutenant General John A. Bradley, who was Chief of Air Force Reserve at the time, that said in part, "I understand this is a difficult time and some are waiting for that last minute reprieve to stay where you are.  It is not going to happen.  Embrace change and create new opportunities…Thanks for all you do."

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