Reservists to play larger role at McConnell

Terry McGee commutes to Kansas. When he tells his friends in Orange County, Calif., he gets a lot of befuddled looks.

“My joke is … it’s easier than navigating the California freeways,” he said.

McGee, a lieutenant colonel in the 931st Air Refueling Group, was at McConnell Air Force Base this past weekend, along with more than 650 other reservists, for a monthly training session.

In the next few years, pending the arrival of new KC-46A tankers, reservists at McConnell will play an increased role in base operations, said Col. Mark Larson, commander of the 931st Air Refueling Group.

Historically, there has been one Reserve squadron at McConnell, complete with 24 crews. With the arrival of the KC-46, the Reserves will bolster their ranks – going to three squadrons of 18 crews.

And the base will gain 400 new reservists, Larson said – 150 of whom will be full-time. The base has already started recruiting in the area.

The 931st, which currently has more than 650 reservists, has a total economic impact of more than $51 million in the area, according to the Air Force.

“While I can’t speculate on the impact this growth will have on the local area, I can say this will mean more reservists in the area during unit training assembly weekends, which will mean more patrons at hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the area,” said Capt. Zachary Anderson, chief of public affairs for the 931st.

McConnell as a whole will reap the benefits of an increase in reservists, as the reserves and active-duty personnel work closely together at the base, said Col. Albert Miller, commander of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing.

Miller said that since many of the reservists are former active-duty members, they bring invaluable experience when they work with younger service members.

“We leverage that on our younger active-duty force, and that’s also in the maintenance side of the house where they work side by side,” Miller said. “You can’t even tell them apart until you look at their line badge and see what unit they’re in. It’s complete integration, and it’s a success story here at McConnell.”

About 28 percent of McConnell’s reservists commute from other states to do their weekend duties in Wichita, either by driving or flying commercial airlines. They live in 28 different states.

Many of McConnell’s reservists formerly served on the base and wanted to come back, McGee said. When people join the Air Force Reserves, they choose three bases they would like to be stationed at, and the Air Force assigns them to one.

“The biggest challenge is getting here,” McGee said. “Once you’re here, it’s just a job.”

At the least, reservists who are assigned to McConnell come once a month to do training, though they can choose to come more often.

Lt. Col. Mark Wilkinson, a buddy of McGee’s, has a more natural transition to the weekend training schedule. Wilkinson works as a pilot for United Airlines.

Both are former active-duty members who made the transition to the reserve life.

“It sounds kind of hokey, but I still felt the need to call and serve,” Wilkinson said. “I just enjoy it.”

Both Wilkinson and McGee are single, they said, affording them more flexibility in travel hours and military responsibilities.

Wilkinson lives in Las Vegas.

“Single, never been married, live in Las Vegas … what could go wrong there?” Wilkinson said with a chuckle.

For reservists who do have spouses and families, McGee said families often find ways to “work through that.”

“That’s an added strain but most guys, I believe, have successfully been able to make that work,” he said.

“The families, I would say, actually make more sacrifices than the military member, missing anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, et cetera, et cetera,” Wilkinson said.

Both say they plan on staying in the Reserves until their mandatory separation date.

“I love trying different things, going different places, but serving my country is still pretty important,” McGee said. “I foresee going the distance the next 10 years. I don’t see an end to it.”

This story was originally published July 15, 2015 at 7:11 PM with the headline "Reservists to play larger role at McConnell."