LEESBURG, Va. -- Nearly 300 Reserve Citizen Airmen from across the country gathered at the National Conference Center, April 12–13, for the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Combined Training Assembly, a conference-style event designed to enhance readiness, build professional connections and align Individual Mobilization Augmentees (IMAs) with AFOSI’s total force mission.
Air Force Reservists serving as IMAs support active duty units part time and can be activated as needed.
With a reserve component grounded in real-world experience, AFOSI is well-positioned to benefit from the skills of its IMA force. For example, the majority of AFOSI’s IMAs hold civilian jobs in law enforcement or law enforcement-related fields.
In addition to law enforcement investigations experience, they also have civilian background in fields such as cybersecurity, intelligence, foreign affairs, education and training, linguistics and more, offering real-world insight and a form of strategic depth that normally wouldn’t be replicable within the active duty alone.
As a result, IMAs offer a broad talent set that can be tapped by AFOSI if needed.
The importance of the CTA to keeping IMAs spun up on AFOSI’s current mission needs was explained by Col. Michael Mentavlos, mobilization assistant to the AFOSI commander, who opened the event.
“This is, for all intents and purposes, our one drill weekend every other year,” Mentavlos said. “The CTA is a critical opportunity for us to connect, collaborate and stay informed with all the many changes that we’re experiencing.”
To support active duty units when needed, IMAs maintain full readiness by staying current on all medical, training and other requirements.
The IMA program, administered by Headquarters Readiness Integration Organization (HQ RIO), gives the Department of Defense a relatively low-cost force of experienced, mission-ready professionals to augment the active duty when needed.
The CTA included briefings from AFOSI leadership on recent changes, regional team breakout sessions, updates from various RIO leaders and career development workshops. More than 70 new IMAs also attended a dedicated Newcomer Orientation on April 11.
Chief Master Sgt. Israel Nuñez, senior enlisted advisor to the Chief of Air Force Reserve, also addressed the assembly, highlighting the Reserve enlisted force’s role in bridging operational gaps and supporting the Air Force’s future needs.
“We could not do what we do without the experience, commitment and talent in this room,” said Chief Master Sgt. James Hoy, AFOSI command chief, addressing the IMA force. “You’re not just a part of the mission—you’re essential to it.”
He explained the fragile balance between mission execution and taking care of AFOSI personnel by using a house of cards analogy, in which multiple cards depend on the support of each other:
“Your mission card needs to be standing, and that’s only going to be standing if there’s a people card right there holding it up,” Hoy said. “To get this to work, you have to have just the right balance.”
He concluded with a call to focus on three elements of a strong culture: “Every healthy culture has three things: safety and belonging, connection and vulnerability and purpose,” he said. “And I don’t think there’s any lack of purpose in this audience.”
In addition, AFOSI’s Command Reserve Cell, which was stood up to manage administrative needs for AFOSI’s IMA force, created an internal talent search tool to match IMAs who possess key skillsets to specific active duty needs. The commitment to matching skills with mission needs was echoed by top AFOSI leaders.
Brig. Gen. Amy Bumgarner, AFOSI commander, said the agency’s IMAs have always stepped up to fill critical needs for the Command when needed.
“The main thing I want you to know is that I appreciate you,” Bumgarner said, during her address to the IMA force. “I fully recognize I would not be able to do this job without our IMAs.”
The commander’s remarks highlighted not just appreciation, but also the operational necessity of the IMA force.
“There’s nobody else in the Air Force who can do this mission,” Bumgarner said. “When we have some gaps in coverage from an active duty force or from an 1811 [federal criminal investigator] force, we've got our IMAs who are stepping up. We will continue to tap into our Reserve talent – it's essential to our mission success.”