John P. Healy, Chief of the Air Force Reserve and Commander of Air Force Reserve Command, said the strategic importance of reserve components is increasing as threats grow more complex. “Our security environment demands a ready, interoperable and, when necessary, lethal force,” Healy said. “Air Reserve forces provide a decisive edge — what we call the ‘Reserve Advantage’.”
Healy described that advantage as rooted in civilian-sector expertise, strategic depth and surge capacity, and strong community ties, highlighting the flexibility of Citizen Airmen. “That is twice the citizen,” he said, after citing an example of a security forces noncommissioned officer moving from tactical leadership to a corporate chief financial officer role within 48 hours.
Healy also outlined expanded Air Force Reserve engagement in the Indo-Pacific and Europe, including exchanges with the Philippines, civil engineering support in Palau, training in South Korea, and new cooperation with Australia, France, and the United Kingdom. Emphasizing interoperability, he said, “The next fight will be a coalition fight. We will not have the luxury of time to figure out how to work together.”
Israel Nuñez, Air Force Reserve Command Senior Enlisted Advisor, stressed that disciplined Airmen and high standards are essential to readiness. “Lethality and readiness are not buzzwords,” Nuñez said. “They are the cornerstones of our ability to deter aggression and, if necessary, fly, fight and win.”
Nuñez warned that eroding standards have real operational consequences and pointed to recent combat operations as evidence of the value of professionalism. “When the nation needed decisive airpower,” he said, referencing precision strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, “a disciplined and mission ready Air Force delivered.”
Citing Ukraine’s improved battlefield performance after strengthening its noncommissioned officer corps, Nuñez underscored the decisive role of enlisted leaders in modern conflict. “Our NCOs will be the difference between victory and defeat,” he said, adding, “Standards, lethality and readiness have always mattered in our profession of arms. Today they matter more than ever. Tomorrow they will define our success or failure.”
