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53d Wing's first Reserve squadron activated

By 53d Wing Public Affairs / Published August 27, 2008

Col. David Culbertson, 926th Group, passes on some personal words before handing over the guidon to new commander, Lt. Col. John Breazeale at the 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron activation ceremony Aug 26 at the Air Armament Museum. The 84 TES is the newest and only reserve squadron in the 53d Wing. The squadron members fill regular Air Force positions within the wing's various units but report back to their reserve unit. The squadron is scheduled to have 18 members by year's end and 56 by 2012. Photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel King Jr.
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Col. David Culbertson, 926th Group, passes on some personal words before handing over the guidon to new commander, Lt. Col. John Breazeale at the 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron activation ceremony Aug 26 at the Air Armament Museum. The 84 TES is the newest and only reserve squadron in the 53d Wing. The squadron members fill regular Air Force positions within the wing's various units but report back to their reserve unit. The squadron is scheduled to have 18 members by year's end and 56 by 2012. Photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel King Jr.

Members of the Eglin Air Force Base Honor Guard wait to present the colors at the 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron activation ceremony Aug 26 at the Air Armament Museum. The 84 TES is the newest and only reserve squadron in the 53d Wing. The squadron members fill regular Air Force positions within the wing's various units but report back to their reserve squadron. The squadron is scheduled to have 18 members by year's end and 56 by 2012. Photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel King Jr.
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Members of the Eglin Air Force Base Honor Guard wait to present the colors at the 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron activation ceremony Aug 26 at the Air Armament Museum. The 84 TES is the newest and only reserve squadron in the 53d Wing. The squadron members fill regular Air Force positions within the wing's various units but report back to their reserve squadron. The squadron is scheduled to have 18 members by year's end and 56 by 2012. Photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel King Jr.

Lt. Col. John Breazeale and Senior Master Sgt. Sybil McDowell watch as the colors are presented by the Eglin Air Force Base honor guard during the 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron activation ceremony Aug 26 at the Air Armament Museum. Colonel Breazeale is the new commander and Sergeant McDowell is the superintendent. The 84 TES is the newest and only reserve squadron in the 53d Wing. The squadron members fill regular Air Force positions within the wing's various units but report back to their reserve unit. The squadron plans to have 18 members by year's end and 56 by 2012. Photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel King Jr.
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Lt. Col. John Breazeale and Senior Master Sgt. Sybil McDowell watch as the colors are presented by the Eglin Air Force Base honor guard during the 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron activation ceremony Aug 26 at the Air Armament Museum. Colonel Breazeale is the new commander and Sergeant McDowell is the superintendent. The 84 TES is the newest and only reserve squadron in the 53d Wing. The squadron members fill regular Air Force positions within the wing's various units but report back to their reserve unit. The squadron plans to have 18 members by year's end and 56 by 2012. Photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel King Jr.

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EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The 84th Test and Evaluation Squadron activated Aug. 26 as the first Reserve unit in support of the 53d Wing and serves to organize, train and equip forces to support operational test and evaluation missions for the Combat Air Forces.

"My vision for the 84 TES Wizards is to provide long-term continuity and credibility to enhance (the 53d Wing) mission of 'Perfecting Lethality,' said Lt. Col. John Breazeale, 84 TES commander.

Unique to the traditional, part-time structure of the Air Force Reserve, the majority of 84 TES members work with regular Air Force personnel on a full-time basis, as part of the Department of Defense's Total Force Integration initiative.

Through TFI the regular Air Force provides the aircraft and other assets, while the Air Force Reserve provides additional manpower to accomplish the mission.

"I am committed to the 'Total Force Concept,'" said the Texas native. "The reality of today's Global War on Terror and limited resources demand we optimize our forces to execute the mission of the U.S. Air Force."

According to the 84 TES, their unit will consist of numerous career fields to include pilots, intelligence officers, communication specialists and program managers for operational testing.

The benefit of the 84 TES is you take the best of the regular and reserve, and make it a more effective and efficient Air Force, said the colonel.

Eglin is one of several Air Force bases hosting an Air Force Reserve unit. As missions expand, the Air Force Reserve is employing more and more full-time Airmen, both at home and in deployed locations, to help fight the Global War on Terror.