Dover Reserve wing to host IRR muster May 17

by Master Sgt. Veronica Aceveda
512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

5/9/2014 - DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del.  -- The 512th Airlift Wing is scheduled to host an Individual Ready Reserve Muster here May 17. The Air Reserve Personnel Center has notified ready reservists who live within a 150-mile radius to report to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, for a muster screening.

"Muster duty is critical," said Brig. Gen. Samuel C. Mahaney, ARPC commander, in the muster duty notification memo. "The muster ensures we can contact you should the need arise to support a national emergency."

Conducted annually at active-duty, Guard and Reserve installations, IRR muster screenings make it possible to update members' personal data, readiness status and skill-level degradation.

The number of registrants for this year's muster has already surpassed the 209 attendees of the base's last muster, hosted by the 436th AW in 2012.

Participants do not have to wear a uniform to the muster; and, regardless of rank, they receive a flat-rate unit of pay, which includes compensation for transportation and food costs.
The event, which runs from 8 a.m. to noon, is designed to increase efficiency of the activation process for a mobilization.

Senior Master Sgt. Peggy Windsor, 512th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, is one of four medical technicians, working the weekend muster. She said her team is charged with screening for any condition which may require follow-up care or may be subject for disqualification.

During operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, more than a thousand IRR members with critical skill sets not available from the active force were called to active duty, a feat directly attributable to the IRR muster screening process, according to the IRR Muster Program Planning Guide.

In addition to updating the members' readiness status for the national level, there's also a local benefit.

Sometimes at musters, members express a desire to reconnect with the Reserve and inquire about filling a vacancy, according to the muster planning guide. For this purpose, Air Force Reserve recruiters for the 512th AW will be on site to answer questions on assignment opportunities.

Event organizers led my Maj. Crystal Beach, the 512th Force Support Squadron commander, have been preparing for months to ensure the process goes smoothly and participants receive the most current information regarding their benefits and entitlements.