Senior leaders from the U.S. Air Force Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force met March 17-19 to strengthen an enduring partnership and identify new opportunities for collaboration in a rapidly evolving global security environment.
Lt. Gen. John Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve and commander of Air Force Reserve Command, hosted Air Vice-Marshal Ranald Munro, commandant general of the RAuxAF and chief of Staff Reserves, along with two members of his leadership team. The Key Leader Engagement took place at the Pentagon and Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, as part of the Air Force Reserve's Reserve Allies and Partners Program.
"As we face increasingly complex challenges from peer competitors, our ability to integrate effectively with key allies like the United Kingdom is vital," Healy said. "This engagement is a step forward in building the kind of deep reserve partnerships that will help us deter and, if needed, defeat common adversaries."
The visit opened at the Pentagon with strategic discussions on Reserve force growth, integration and long-term planning.
"We talked about strategy and what's the goal over the next five, ten, fifteen years - growing our Reserves and making them more capable, more relevant, and more useable," Munro said. "What we established today was a real program where we can potentially look at sharing an exchange program and build on something we already have on an informal basis, having relationships squadron to squadron."
After touring the Pentagon, the U.K. delegation boarded a C-17 Globemaster III headed for Dobbins ARB. During the flight, Airmen from the 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron, and the 445th and 911th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadrons, provided the delegation with an immersive aeromedical evacuation demonstration, incorporating lifesaving procedures on simulated patients.
At Dobbins ARB, Munro and his team received mission briefings from units including the 22nd Air Force, 94th Airlift Wing, and AFRC Recruiting and Retention. Discussions centered on the Air Force Reserve's contributions to global operations, such as agile combat support, rapid mobility and civil engineering capabilities, while also addressing common challenges in recruiting and retaining reserve personnel.
"It's an absolute pleasure to host our AFRC leadership as well as the U.K. Reserve leadership and showcase what we have at Dobbins and the different mission sets we bring to the fight," said Col. Michael Parks, 94th Airlift Wing commander. "Watching two countries' services interact together, we always find that regardless of our differences, our challenges are similar, and we can collaborate in multiple areas to create solutions that are beneficial for both nations."
Over two days, Munro observed demonstrations including a security forces capabilities display, cyber and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance training briefings, and demonstrations at the Silver Flag site and the Transportation Proficiency Center. Highlights included expeditionary firefighter training and dead runway recovery operations.
The itinerary also featured an engagement with the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce and Air Force Reserve Command civic leaders, reaffirming AFRC's commitment to strengthening community partnerships.
"It's been a highly successful visit for us, and we got exactly what we wanted out of it," Munro said. "The ideas we learned here will inform the next iteration of Air Reserve operations. We want to build on this foundation moving forward because we are stronger together as allies. We're more lethal learning from each other and standing on each other's shoulders. We've done that for many, many years and we will continue to do that."
RAPP provides the framework for engagements like these, enabling AFRC to synchronize efforts with partner nations. The program fosters enduring relationships and develops recurring training and exercise opportunities with allies such as the RAuxAF.
"Our collaboration with the Royal Auxiliary Air Force is essential to advancing our shared strategic goals," Healy added. "By working together, we're building a more connected and capable force that's ready for the challenges of tomorrow."
As AFRC expands RAPP initiatives globally, the focus remains on enhancing interoperability, force development and readiness.
"I came here to work with partners and allies, and I'm leaving here with three new friends," said Maj. Gen. Frank Bradfield III, AFRC deputy commander. "The honest dialogue challenged us and will make us stronger. We are looking forward to a continued dialogue now and in the future."
