Appointment

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III (second from left) invites the junior most ranking member in the Office of the Air Force Reserve (RE), Staff Sgt. Ivanka Vrechkov (third from left) to cut a cake celebrating the Air Force Reserve’s 67th birthday during a ceremony in the Pentagon, April 6, 2015, Washington, D.C. Also on hand for the ceremony was Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer (left) and Chief of the Air Force Reserve Lt. Gen. James “JJ” Jackson (right). Vrechkov is the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of Policy Integration for RE. The Air Force Reserve was established on April 14, 1948 by President Harry S. Truman, seven months after the active duty Air Force was established as a separate service. Originally, the Air Force Reserve was a standby force for use in wartime and national emergencies. The Air Force Reserve has worked closely with their active duty counterparts since the first associate unit stood up at Norton Air Force Base, Calif. in 1968 The Air Force Reserve also performs unique missions such as aerial fire fighting, aerial spray and weather reconnaissance. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jim Varhegyi)