BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The Pre-Trained Individual Manpower office at Headquarters Air Reserve Personnel Center is responsible for executing the Air Force’s Individual Ready Reserve muster and mobilization program, which supports national defense readiness requirements.
Participation in muster is not only a requirement—it is a chance for Individual Ready Reserve members to reaffirm their continued role in supporting the nation’s defense. By attending, members help ensure they are ready if called and stay connected to the benefits and opportunities they’ve earned through service.
“The muster and mobilization program plays a crucial role in maintaining the strategic readiness posture of the Air Force Reserve,” said Capt. Christopher Sambuchino, Chief PIM Readiness Branch. “It’s about ensuring that personnel are prepared, accounted for and ready to respond to national emergencies or contingency operations.”
The IRR consists of approximately 38,000 former active-duty, Reserve and Guard Airmen who still have a military service obligation following separation. Under federal law, all Airmen incur an eight-year total military service obligation at the time of enlistment and commissioning, which may include time in the IRR following time in service.
IRR muster events are held at various installations each year and serve as a mechanism to verify member contact information, provide benefit updates and facilitate reconnection with the military. IRR members received $253 for 2025 for attending a muster event, which typically ranges from two to four hours. The amount paid for attendance increases annually.
“These events are an opportunity for us to get member’s latest and current information—such as additional information that can’t be shared over email—to make sure we can reach them promptly and efficiently, when necessary,” Sambuchino said.
Tech. Sgt. Ebo Yankson, non-commissioned officer in charge, Personnel Readiness Branch, said the team coordinates with host bases to ensure support services are in place.
“We coordinate with the POCs to ensure they have the location locked down, medical folks, base security, military personnel flight members available for ID card services and recruiters in case anyone wants to come back in the Air Force,” Yankson said.
According to Yankson, local installation support is critical to the success of each muster event. The PIM team depends on base-level points of contact to secure appropriate locations, coordinate facilities access and align support from key organizations.
“We couldn’t do this without the bases that agree to host us,” he said. “Having willing POCs on site who can help us reserve space and coordinate services like medical, finance and personnel is absolutely vital.”
While the team planned to conduct 25 muster events this year, Yankson said they were only able to execute 21. Identifying and partnering with available installations remains a key component of the annual muster plan.
Yankson also pointed out that members attending muster events may receive briefings from the Department of Veterans Affairs and are eligible to renew their Department of Defense Identification cards.
“The issuance of these ID cards grants IRR members access to installations, commissaries, exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities,” said Yankson.
The PIM team includes six assigned personnel who manage outreach, data entry and reporting for the IRR program. Sambuchino said the number of muster events has varied in recent years.
“Pre-COVID, the team was averaging about 20 musters per year,” he said. “After COVID, they were barely able to break double digits. With the new team, we got to 21 this year and are hoping to get to 25 musters next year.”
Muster is distinct from mobilization, which involves recalling IRR members to active duty in support of operations. Tech. Sgt. Linda Lewis, non-commissioned officer in charge of PIM Mobilization, said mobilization efforts rely heavily on the information gathered during muster.
“We use muster to keep track of members and make sure we can recall them,” said Lewis. “If we were told we needed to mobilize, we would issue official orders and direct IRR members to a PIM location for assessment, medical screening and duty assignment.”
Lewis said the mobilization process prioritizes the most recently separated personnel and considers each member’s current civilian skillset to determine potential military assignments.
“If a member left the military working in personnel but has since gone to nursing school, we might be able to bring them back in as a nurse,” she said.
During a recent outreach effort, the team contacted all 38,000 IRR members via email. About 3,000 responded, with 300 indicating willingness to participate in a readiness exercise.
“This is the step that comes before a draft, so we really need to ensure we have the contact information of these IRR members,” said Lewis.
Yankson emphasized that accurate, up-to-date contact information is essential for both muster and mobilization processes. The team sends monthly rosters to IRR members to verify phone numbers, addresses and email contacts, and updates those records in military personnel systems. IRR members can update their information through the myFSS platform.
“Updating their address lets us know if we’re sending a member the right information to attend muster,” Yankson said. “If a member is outside a 150-mile radius, they are not required to attend.”
For more information on the Individual Ready Reserve program, muster events or contact updates, visit https://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/IRR.