Congressional Staff Members Visit ARPC

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Rob Hazelett
  • Air Reserve Personnel Center Public Affairs
BUCKLEY AFB, Colo. --  The staff delegation specializing in Reserve affairs visited with Col. Pat Blassie, Air Reserve Personnel Center commander, during their first-ever visit to ARPC headquarters here Aug. 26, 2011.

The purpose of this visit was for the congressional staff members to gain an understanding of how the Air Force Reserve operate and integrate with its components and services in the defense of our nation.

Before the delegates toured ARPC's brand-new facility at Buckley Air Force Base, Blassie described why ARPC is representative of the diversity and talent of the Air Force. "Our leadership, with a highly skilled and experienced team of employees, serves a Total Force customer-base of a million people who live and work in your communities around the country."

Blassie pointed out ARPC is a reflection of how efficient it is to use the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve in support of the Total Force mission. "What is significant about the Guard and Reserve is how effective and resourceful we are in a time of war and extraordinary budgetary challenges. Today, ARPC is streamlining processes and using technology to serve four times as many Airmen with half as many people than it did when the center first opened in 1954."

According to Blassie, that efficiency quotient is only going to improve in the months and years ahead. "ARPC is a diverse and comprehensive Center comprised of civilians, regular Air Force, Guard and Reserve members, so we fully understand the customers we service. Our focus is to serve generations of Airmen by continuing to evolve, improve and excel while providing our full spectrum of human resources."

Moreover, this opportunity allowed the staffers to meet with employees of ARPC to see first-hand the work they do. It also helped the staffers advise their congressional leaders on issues that include military and budget to support all Air National Guardsman and Air Force Reservists, which are two of the three components of the Air Force.

The staffers visited the new ARPC building at Buckley Air Force Base, where they received a mission briefing and tour of key ARPC business areas such as the Promotion Board Secretariat, Total Force Service Center, and the Force Development and Sustainment Divisions. This visit also included senior leaders from the 460th Space Wing and the 8th Space Warning Squadron on Buckley.

Colorado was chosen for this orientation visit since there are a variety of Reserve missions in the area. This was the last day of a three-day visit, which included stops at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, to tour the 302nd Airlift Wing, 310th Space Wing and United States Northern Command.