HARTFORD, Conn. -- Air Force Reserve Command leadership and Air Force Reserve recruiters visited schools and community organizations to highlight the “Reserve Advantage,” emphasizing flexible service opportunities, dual-career development, and the critical role of Reserve Airmen in delivering combat-ready capability, May 7, 2026, Hartford, Connecticut.
The three-stop visit brought together U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John P. Healy, chief of the AFR and commander of the AFRC, U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Reserve Israel Nuñez, senior enlisted advisor to the Chief of AFR, and recruiters from the 350th Recruiting Squadron, to engage aircraft maintenance students, high school students, and participants in local youth development programs, reinforcing how Reserve service supports both, national defense requirements, as well as personal and professional growth.
Healy and Nuñez, teamed up with Senior Master Sgt. Jared Lacovara, 350 RCS recruiting flight chief, and 350 RCS leadership, to engage the Hartford, Connecticut, community by sharing a Reserve Advantage message, focusing on talent development and community connection.
At Connecticut Aero Tech School for Aviation Maintenance Technicians, leaders met with instructors and students preparing for careers in aircraft maintenance, highlighting the alignment between civilian technical education and AFR mission requirements.
Lacovara emphasized how hands-on civilian training directly supports operational readiness and force generation across the enterprise.
“We are jack-of-all-trades,” said Nuñez. “Surge capacity is assured access to combat power, and when the nation calls, we answer.”
Nuñez highlighted the wide reach of Reserve aircraft maintainers.
“From special operations to helicopters, we’re not just working on helicopters, we have elite special operators saving lives,” said Nuñez. “If you think about those rescue helicopters, our special mission aviators are flight engineers, pararescuemen, they're also aircraft maintainers, and again, it's transferable.”
Transferable education is an AFR benefit that builds the future force through education and experience. At Windsor High School, Lt. Gen. Healy returned to the school that helped shape his own early aspirations. He spoke with students about service, leadership, and the opportunities available through the Air Force Reserve.
The engagement highlighted how military service can complement education, broaden horizons, and civilian career pathways while maintaining continuity of service to the nation.
“I was pretty determined, and I put my mind to that when I was a kid,” said Healy. “Being part of organizations, groups, and teams was great because we were working toward a singular purpose.”
Healy stressed that the opportunities you choose to build your foundation are key to achieving your goals.
“If I wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force, I couldn’t do that if I had drug use, wasn’t physically fit, or if my grades weren’t high enough,” added Healy. “I knew that bad choices in high school would prohibit me from going on and doing what I wanted to do.”
Healy and Nuñez set the tone for their Windsor HS hosts. One student shared his acceptance to the University of Connecticut to study political science, planning to use his Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps skills and discipline in a life of service.
“It’s been a real honor to meet someone who attended my school and was able to achieve what Lt. Gen. Healy could,” said Elijah Jubrey, JROTC cadet group commander, Windsor HS. “If he could make his goals possible, I can as well.”
At the Samuel S. Gray, Jr. Boys & Girls Club at Asylum Hill, Chief Nuñez reflected on what opportunities the Boys and Girls Club of New York offered him as a child and how the ARF can provide similar pathways. The recruiters and senior enlisted leader engaged the Boys and Girls Club community on education, workforce readiness, and the value of discipline and service.
Lacovara discussed how Reserve service offers stability, training, and the ability to maintain civilian career progression while serving the nation.
“We are a global force,” said Locavara. “I'm here to let you guys know that there are opportunities to expand your experience, expand your knowledge, maybe take the next step into your forte. You can grow from a civilian maintenance skillset or local foundation within a global force.”
Throughout the engagements, leaders emphasized the Reserve’s role as an operational force that provides surge capacity, strategic depth, and combat-ready capability to the Total Force.
Reserve leaders underscored that AFR service offers more than employment—it provides structured training, stability, and dual-track career progression that allows Airmen to serve while advancing civilian education, family life, and professional goals.
The engagements also reinforced the global nature of Air Force operations, highlighting how Reservists contribute to missions that span the globe, from daily readiness at Westover ARB to worldwide deployments in support of combatant commanders.
The Hartford-area engagements are part of ongoing efforts by AFRC and AFR recruiters to strengthen community partnerships and highlight opportunities for service.
To learn more about serving in the Air Force, Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve, go to www.airforce.com/find-a-recruiter or download the AIM HIGH app to speak directly with a recruiter.