Week 8 Case Study 4

Kyle N. MacCullough

Brandman University

COMU 375

Media Ethics

April 30, 2017

Ethical Dilemma

While the Active Duty Airmen in the United States Air Force struggle to keep up with the

demanding missions around the world that support our forward bases and allies, the Reserve Air

Force Airmen face their own struggle: how to fit support for these missions into their lives as

citizen Airmen. The answer has come from citizen Airmen that devote their professional careers

to the squadron which they are assigned, finding missions that are civilian schedule friendly and

making sure there are plenty of them.

The Air Force Reserve has the very demanding mission of providing mission ready

Airmen to augment the Active Duty forces. Leaders and members are required to perform at the

same level as Active Duty Airmen with only a small fraction of the training and experience

gained by their counterparts. Jobs range anywhere from handling military finances to operating

aircraft worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The dilemma the United States Air Force Reserve (or USAFR) faces is whether or not

hold their members to the same standard as the Active Duty component. Leaders in the USAFR

claim that their Airmen meet all standards the Active Duty puts forth, but critics claim it is

impossible with the comparably smaller amount of experience and proficiency provided to them.
Air Force Reserve Struggles with Airman Proficiency

The so-called “routine” missions flown around the world by the United States Air Force

call for military members that are experts in their fields. Some Air Force specialty codes require

more training and experience than others, especially when it comes to combat and flying

operations. Because it can sometimes be hard to schedule traditional reservists for training, at

least one weekend a month and two weeks out of the year are mandatory training for Reservists.

This allows for members to be able to schedule their civilian lives around their military

commitments with the advance notice. Although this does provide a dependable schedule to

forecast out months ahead, some training still requires time off of civilian jobs to complete.

Every 18 months Aircrew members are required to be evaluated on a “checkride” that

includes flying real world missions which take several days to as long as a week to complete.

Showing up for a checkride without proficiency will most likely condemn a member to a failed

mission, making them unqualified to fly, so members are urged to complete training missions in

preparation for the real thing.

An added level of difficulty comes into play with the current budget crisis the US

Government is facing. Units are now receiving less funding while the demand for trained Airmen

continues to increase. “Given the demands that we have today… [under-manning] becomes

problematic because we’re asking our [Airmen] to do more with less” (Col. Patrick Kumashiro,

USAF). Even when Airmen voluntarily attend military training events, there is no guarantee that

there will be money in the budget to get them paid. Some Airmen, although willing to work for

free in order to receive refresher training, are turned away due to operating restrictions forcing

members to be on a paid status in order to work. The training is therefore not completed and

Airmen lack the proficiency required by their Command, and promised to the public.
Overcoming Training Obstacles

Most Citizen Airmen work traditional business hours five days a week with only

weekends off, leaving them very little wiggle room when it comes to participating in military

events. This has created a new demand for full time Reservist Schedulers. With some jobs in the

Air Force, specifically flying operations, members have more challenging currency requirements

that oblige them to attend training at least once a month. Some training events requiring specific

time and/or day scheduling only add more restrictions upon already overtasked individuals.

Schedulers have had to request additional funds in their budget to focus on missions

dedicated to the Reserve squadrons where members can get their proficiency training without

concern for completing and real world mission at the same time. In doing so, these full time

Airmen have provided their co-workers several additional opportunities every month to fly

Reserve training missions during the weekend and can wait for one that fits their scheduled days

off from their civilian job, even if it falls inside the traditional work week.

Some training events such as Night Vision Goggle Refresher, Aircraft Loading, and

Aircraft Fueling can now be accomplished in a single day without making the commitment to a

week-long trip somewhere outside the United States. That means that members don’t have to

leave their families and businesses don’t lose their employees for long periods. “Static Trainers”

are scheduled to be on the airfield and are reserved for not flying, but ground training events

where aircrew, maintenance and loading crews can all receive training at the same time without

interfering with one another. This has proven to be the best all-around compromise where

training can be completed safely without fear of effecting a real-world mission that agencies

around the world are depending on.

Joining the military, in any branch, is an extreme commitment. Not only are your

coworkers relying on you, but the Federal and State governing agencies are expecting to get a

return on their investment by receiving services paid for by the taxpayers. This includes rescue

operations, humanitarian missions, and even global warfare.

These members must understand what it means to be in any component of the military,

whether that be Active, Guard or Reserve. When their country calls upon them they must be

ready to perform. If not up to the task, member need to identify themselves and request

additional training. As far as scheduling goes, members know their Reserve commitment

requirements. If they take on a job that conflicts with said commitment, they will have to pay the

price by taking leave from their civilian job or face punishment under the Uniform Code of

Military Justice.

The majority of the burdens placed upon these military members are brought upon

themselves. All commitments are well briefed prior to taking any oath of enlistment and should

be taken seriously. Civilian employers are required to comply with all laws USERRA act of

1994, controlled by the United States Department of Labor, but they also have the ability to

make the lives of their members easier. Some squadrons have a tier policy that puts family

affairs first, civilian employment second, and their Reserve commitment last. Although this

seems fair, it can limit the member’s readiness and doesn’t change the fact that will be evaluated

to the same standard as the Active Duty. I don’t agree with checkrides running the same way for

Reservists and would rather they be tailored to include as much training as they do evaluating.

It’s simply unfair to hold someone to the same standard as another when the required amount of

training hasn’t been offered or experience gained.

The United States Air Force has its own code of ethics that are well known to every

member in every component. Airmen call them the “Core Values”, consisting of “integrity first,

service before self, and excellence in all we do”. These core values can easily be applied to this

ethical dilemma and show where the change needs to come from on both sides.

Integrity comes in where there is a lack of training. Members are required to speak up

with then know they are lacking training and experience. Service before self is quite clear: the

requirements of the Air Force come before the needs of the member. If something is standing in

the way of the Airman completing the mission, they need to square it away, and if possible, their

Air Force leadership need to ensure their members are taken care of. Excellence in all that we do

leads directly into the dilemma that the Air Force Reserve faces. Members are expected to

perform at their peak level despite what is currently happening in the world. The country requires

that they are and stay experts in their fields. This cannot be done without leadership though.

Managers and leaders at all levels need to ensure that training, and funding to complete that

training, are available to maximum extent possible.

“Jobs.” Air Force Reserve.com. United States Air Force Reserve, 2017. https://afreserve.com/.

Accessed 30 Apr. 2017.

“Vision.” AirForce.com. United States Air Force, 2017. https://www.airforce.com/-

mission/vision. Accessed 30 Apr. 2017.

Losey, Stephen. “Weary Maintainers Struggle to Keep Fleet Combat Ready.” AirForceTimes, 2

Nov. 2015, https://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/11/02/weary-

maintainers-struggle-keep-fleet-combat-ready/74870766/. Accessed 30 Apr. 2017.

Peck, Lee and Reel, Guy. Media Ethics at Work: True Stories from Young Professionals (2nd

ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd, 2017.