Air Reserve Technician Program Air Reserve Technicians , commonly referred to as ARTs , are a nucleus of uniformed U . S . Air Force leaders , managers , operators , planners and trainers in the Air Reserve Component ( ARC ) of the United States Air Force , the ARC consisting of both the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard . ARTs have expert knowledge and proven expertise to maintain the operational combat readiness of Air Force Reserve Command ( AFRC ) and Air National Guard ( ANG ) units and smooth the transition of Air Reserve Component units and both their full - time and traditional part - time military personnel from a peacetime environment to a contingency or wartime environment . They also provide leadership and management continuity , equipment maintenance , and training support to help keep their units combat ready . Air Reserve Technicians carry a dual status , working as full - time civil service employees for the Air Force and as uniformed military members in the same AFRC or ANG units where they work as Department of the Air Force civilians ( DAFC ) , performing the same job function whether in a DAFC or military status . ARTs are unique among DoD civil servants in that all commissioned officers and all enlisted personnel are forced to wear their uniforms and utilize their rank titles at all times , whether in a DAFC civil service , regular drill , additional drill , or active duty status . This causes confusion , especially with Active Component personnel in the cases of those AFRC and ANG units located on air force bases , naval air stations , army air fields or joint bases . In their technically " civil service " role , Air Reserve Technicians are physically located at their AFRC or ANG unit and provide full - time day - to - day support for their units throughout the year , be it at the squadron , group , wing , numbered air force or major command ( MAJCOM ) level . Air Reserve Technicians also participate with other traditional reservists ( TR ) in AFRC and traditional guardsmen ( TG ) in ANG during weekend unit training assemblies ( UTAs ) , additional weekday or weekend drills ( to include Additional Flying Training Periods , or AFTPs , for aeronautically rated officers and enlisted aircrew ) , annual training ( AT ) active duty tours and additional active duty tours for training or operational support ( ADT / ADOS ) , or active duty special work ( ADSW ) " man days " in both the Continental United States ( CONUS ) and outside the Continental United States ( OCONUS ) . ART personnel are also subject to mobilization / recall to full active duty with the Regular Air Force pursuant to Title 10 U . S . C 12301 and 12302 and subsequent assignment to Regular Air Force or joint U . S . military organizations . In this instance , they may be " mobilized " as individuals and assigned to other units , or as part of their parent AFRC or ANG unit being " mobilized " ( to include " federalized " for ANG ) all or in part for duty in CONUS and / or OCONUS , to include designated combat zones . ART personnel are predominantly assigned to operational AFRC and ANG flying units at the wing , group and squadron level , with a lesser number assigned to MAJCOMs , numbered air forces ( NAFs ) , non - flying units and staffs . Their jobs span a broad spectrum within these organizations , including commander at the squadron , group and wing level , as well as various other Air Force Specialty Code s ( AFSCs ) . For commissioned officers , these AFSCs include , but are not limited to , Pilot s and Navigators / Combat Systems Officer s in nearly every USAF Model Design Series ( MDS ) aircraft , flight instructors and standardization / evaluators in those aircraft , aircraft maintenance officer s , intelligence officers , nurses ( including flight nurse s ) , meteorologists , space operations officers , and administrative and personnel officers . Enlisted ARTs are composed of enlisted aircrew positions such as flight engineer , loadmaster , pararescueman , air refueling boom operator , as well as non - flying enlisted positions such as aircraft maintenance technician , avionics maintenance technician , air traffic controller , fire fighter , Security Forces , airfield operations , communications , logistics , medical technician and administrative personnel . ARTs comprise approximately 17 percent of total AFRC and ANG unit manpower , with aircraft and avionics maintenance employing roughly 60 percent of the enlisted ART work force , where they average 17 years of job experience . Security Forces personnel also comprise a significant number of the enlisted ART force . The ART program was first implemented in 1958 as the result of an Air Force study which showed that Air Force Reservists and Air National Guardsmen could be trained , and their operational readiness maintained , by fewer full - time Air Reserve Technicians than by a larger number of full - time active duty Regular Air Force personnel . The Air Reserve Technician program saved the Air Force $ 13 million ( in 1958 $ USD ) during its first year of operation . As of 2012 , Air Reserve Technicians comprise over 10 , 500 of all personnel assigned in the Air Force Reserve Command , or approximately 15 % of total AFRC manning . ART manpower in the Air National Guard comprises a slightly higher percentage , numbering approximately 18 , 000 personnel or + / - 17 % of total Air National Guard personnel strength in all 50 states , Puerto Rico , Guam , the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia . Sources . " This article contains information that originally came from a US Government website , in the public domain . "