Reserve Duty Helps Retain Our Human Advantage” By CAPT Quinton Packard, USN
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his issue of Rotor Review and its theme of “The Human Advantage” is a perfect opportunity to highlight an option available to Sailors when they decide to leave the active component, aka the “Regular Navy.” Specifically, I am referring to the chance to serve in the Navy Reserve. Now I know what you are thinking – “here we go with a Reservist sales pitch luring me from Active Duty.” Nope - far from it! I want everyone who is currently serving to A helicopter from HSC-3 combats a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS stay in as long as they can. Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego, July 14, 2020. U.S.Navy photo by With the increasing strategic Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Garrett LaBarge. competition with China and a revanchist Russia seeking regional hegemony, there has never been a stronger need for experienced, well-trained aircrew in Like our active component counterparts, our Reserve the cockpit, the cabin, and on the ground. units are busy. Very busy. At the time of this writing, two of MSW’s four Reserve squadrons are forward-deployed, and For some of you, however, the decision may have already four of our Reserve Component Units are critical deployment been made - either by you or for you - to leave the Navy enablers for their host Active Component squadrons. MSW’s and pursue other options. Whether timing did not allow you two VP squadrons maintained persistent FY20-21 GFM to break out in a competitive wardroom or family needs are deployment presence in INDOPACOM as well, and in FY23 necessitating your off-ramp from active service, there may will transition to the P-8A Poseidon, keeping pace with our be an option for you to affiliate with the Navy Reserve and Active Component counterparts, and our insatiable need for serve in a part time capacity. Michael McVay authored an Maritime ISR and ASW capabilities. outstanding article entitled “Still Flying and Serving, Just Not on Active Duty” in War on the Rocks this February. While Do not take this the wrong way, but the benefit of a Reserve Air Force-centric, he nonetheless identified many pertinent squadron is that there are no first-tour JOs, and it is also not reasons why active-duty service members consider making the first rodeo for many of our Aircrew and Maintenance the switch. But whatever the reason, the Reserve allows the personnel. This means the path to deployment readiness Navy to recapitalize on the training investment in each of us; can be faster. Each pilot, typically coming out of a Superusually this amounts to several million dollars per person by JO or Department Head tour, is hand-selected to join the the time a Sailor’s initial contract is up. That investment wardroom and arrives with a significant amount of experience. both in money and experience - is essential to our national The downside to all that experience is that the squadron is defense because it allows us to maintain freedom of the seas capable, as the Jaguars of HSM-60 presently demonstrate, to and provides us with our strongest advantage - The Human undergo an ISATT top-off and get underway with little notice Advantage. (See what I did there?) while still being the lowest risk option. To wit, within days of notification, HSM-60 got a detachment underway a full five And if you are a helo or tilt-rotor bubba, that Reserve months ahead of their scheduled GFM deployment. service falls under the Maritime Support Wing, or MSW. As the (now former) Commodore of MSW, one of the three Meanwhile, the Firehawks of HSC-85 are always able to aviation wings under Commander, Naval Air Force Reserve, perform most HSC missions, but their current mission requires I provided a mixture of Reserve advocacy and administrative a higher training standard to execute their SOF Support and control (ADCON) for over 2,200 Reservists, including a large Combat Search and Rescue tasking. Their unique Dedicated number of Sailors in six helicopter or tilt-rotor units. These Special Operations Support syllabus - informed by but set Sailors, the majority of whom are Select Reservists, continue apart from the Seahawk Weapons & Tactics Program - helps to leverage their aviation skills part-time while pursuing feed their persistently forward-deployed detachment enough civilian alternatives. properly trained combat crews. The squadron supports Rotor Review #156 Spring '22
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