Tinker air control units embrace total force integration

by Staff Sgt. Caleb Wanzer
513th Air Control Group public affairs

8/22/2013 - TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Some active-duty Airmen serve for years without working alongside a reservist, but Airmen of the 966th Airborne Air Control Squadron have day-to-day experience.

For Capt. Ashlyn Smith, a navigator with the 966th, 'total force integration' is more than just a hot-button phrase. Smith works as an instructor teaching with Maj. Antwaun Hunter, a reservist with the 970th AACS.

Hunter is temporarily assigned to the 966th to help train Airmen fly the E-3 Sentry aircraft. He transitioned from active duty to the Reserve four years ago.

"Active-duty guys switch out every couple of years to go on to bigger and better things," Hunter said. "We reservists stick around a lot longer and are able to keep more continuity."

"We have approximately seven instructors from the 970th working with us right now," said Lt. Col. John Bartoli, 966th AAC commander. "We're very similar where it counts. They're great partners."

Reserve and active-duty squadrons at Tinker AFB have what Bartoli calls "goal congruence," making a partnership beneficial for both units.

"The relationship does a couple things," said Lt. Col. Steven England, 970th AACS director of operations. "We free up their active-duty instructors to work within their squadrons or deploy by backfilling the [training unit]. It's a win for us because we can send our reservist instructors over there to get that training experience."

The relationship doesn't stop with training. The flying squadron's parent units, the active-duty 552nd Air Control Wing and the Reserve's 513th Air Control Group, were tapped for a joint combined unit inspection in November.

"[The inspection] is a first-time deal for us," England said. "We've never worked with the 552nd before with inspections. This will be something new for both the 552nd and 513th."

England is positive about the future of the associate relationship between the 513th and 552nd.

"We don't know what the fiscal future looks like," he said. "But we hope to continue our relationship with the 966th."