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The Reserve Advisory Council is composed of officers, enlisted members
and civilians who serve (or have served) in the Air Force Reserve. They
represent the different constituencies of the Air Force Reserve.
The responsibilities of the Reserve Council are as follows:
- Develops Air Force policy recommendations on quality of life and
quality of service issues, which impact Air Force Reserve members.
- Identifies and prioritizes quality of life and quality of service
issues, driven by legislative action, which impact Air Force Reserve members.
- Prepares input, to include background information, and recommend
action by the Air Force on these issues.
- Makes recommendations to the Air Force Reserve through AF/RE on
policy issues which impact Air Force Reservists.
- Responds to Air Force Reserve requests for study, evaluation, and/or
recommendation on issues affecting members of the Air Force Reserve.
- Performs such other duties as may be assigned by the Air Force Reserve.
Wallace W. Farris, Jr.
Brigadier General
Wallace.Farris@westover.af.mil
Chairman
Brig. Gen. Wallace (Wade) W. Farris, Jr. is commander of the Air Force Reserve Command’s 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air
Reserve Base, Mass.
He assumed command in August 2003. The wing reports to the 22nd Air Force at Dobbins Air
Reserve Base in Georgia and supports Air Mobility Command’s worldwide airlift while operating 16 C-5A aircraft.
General Farris was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and graduated from the University of Alabama
with a bachelor of science degree in business and received his commission through the Air Force ROTC.
He is a command pilot, having flown more than 9,000 hours in airlift, airdrop and air
refueling missions. General Farris was promoted to brigadier general March 30, 2006. He was the eighth wing commander from
Westover to pin on flag officer rank.
Wayne Gracie
Wayne.Gracie@pentagon.af.mil
Advisor
Michael LoGrande
Colonel
Michael.logrande@pentagon.af.mil
Advisor
Colonel Michael F. LoGrande is currently assigned as Chief, Policy Integration Division (AF/REI),
Pentagon, Washington DC, where he is responsible for all legislative matters pertaining to the Air Force Reserve.
Colonel LoGrande graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and was commissioned a second
lieutenant in 1986. He attended Undergraduate Pilot Training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. He remained at Williams AFB
after graduation and served as a T-37 instructor pilot teaching primary jet training. He went on to fly the C-141at McGuire
Air Force Base, New Jersey where he was a Flight Commander, instructor pilot and Assistant Wing Executive Officer. He then
served as an Inquiry Officer and Executive Officer to the Director of Legislative Liaison at the Pentagon, Washington D.C. He
returned to McGuire AFB to fly the KC-10 on both active and Air Force Reserve. There he served as Flight Commander, instructor
pilot and Chief, Wing Flight Safety. He returned to the Pentagon to serve as an Assistant for Congressional Matters, Budget
and Appropriations Liaison Division, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Washington DC where he was responsible for
monitoring congressional actions on Air Force Reserve appropriations including Operations and Maintenance, Military Personnel,
and National Guard and Reserve Equipment Accounts.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from the United States Air Force Academy, a Masters Degree in
Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Masters Degree in National Security Strategy from
National Defense University, Fort McNair, Washington DC. He also completed Squadron Officers’ School (in residence), and Air
Command and Staff College (seminar) and National War College (in residence).
Colonel LoGrande is married to the former Colleen Huner of Uniondale, New York. They have
three children, Michael, Catherine and Matthew.
Valerie Barnes
Chief Master Sergeant
valerie.barnes@pentagon.af.mil
Liaison
 CMSgt Valerie Barnes joined the Air Force Reserve
Advisory Council in October 2005 upon assignment as Superintendent, Policy Integration, HQ USAF at the Pentagon.
During her tenure in the personnel career field, she served on active duty for twelve years, served as a Traditional
Reservist (TR), an Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) and an Air National Guardsmen. Currently she is an
Active Guard/Reserve (AGR) since 1998.
CMSgt Barnes resides in Washington, DC.
Melanie Davis
Captain
davismel@stratcom.mil
Captain Melanie Davis was elected as a member of the Reserve Advisory Council 2006. Currently assigned as an Individual
Mobilization Augmentee, United States Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base Nebraska. Capt Davis is serving in a
culmination of assignments to include, Aide-de-Camp to the Commander, Executive Officer to the Mobilization Assistant, and
Protocol Action Officer.
Previously assigned to Milwaukee Military Entrance Processing Station as the Operations
Officer and Test Control Officer, she also served as Readiness OIC and Section Commander at Offutt AFB during her 4-years
of active duty service. Capt Davis earned her Baccalaureate Degree in Family Studies in 2001 from Texas Tech University.
Then in 2005 she earned her MA in Leadership Development from Bellevue University. Capt Davis has completed PME to include
ASBC and JOLDS, and will attend SOS in-residence May 2007.
Alan Gingras
Chief Master Sergeant
Alan.Gingras@McChord.af.mil
Chief Master Sergeant Alan “Al” Gingras was selected to serve on the Air Force Association Reserve Advisory Council in
2006. He is currently a traditional reservist serving at McChord Air Force Base Washington as the 446th Maintenance Squadron
Accessories Flight Chief.
Chief Gingras was born in Springfield Massachusetts and after high school graduation in 1977,
enlisted in the Air Force. After initial training was completed he was assigned to McChord AFB and the 62nd Field Maintenance
Squadron as an Airframe Repair Specialist. After separating from active duty, he joined the Massachusetts Air National Guard
in 1982 and was assigned to the 104 Tactical Fighter Group at Barnes MAP. In 1983 he returned to McChord AFB and enlisted in
the Air Force Reserve and the 446 FMS (later to become the 446 EMS then 446 MXS) were he currently serves.
Chief Gingras resides in Mill Creek Washington with his wife, Brenda, daughters Cherlyn and
Darla and son, Ethan.
He is employed at Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Everett WA as an Field Operations Manager.
Dominique Hogan
Staff Sergeant
Dominique.Hogan@rescue920.patrick.af.mil
Staff Sergeant Dominique D. Hogan joined
the Air Force Reserve Advisory council in September 2006. She is currently assigned as Security Forces Journeyman for the
920th Security Forces Flight, Patrick AFB, Florida. SSgt Hogan entered the Air Force Reserve in November, 2004. Prior to her
enlistment to USAFR she served a 4-year tour as a Military Police member in the U.S. Marine Corps in which time she deployed to Operation
Desert Shield/Desert Storm. She was recently awarded the 920th Rescue Wing Airman of the year for 2005.
A native of Long Beach, California, SSgt Hogan and her husband Tim reside in Melbourne, Florida
with her step-daughter McKayla, a dog named Zim and two black cats named Bullet and Vegas.
Phyllis Joyner
Chief Master Sergeant
Joynerp@socom.mil
Chief Master Sergeant Phyllis M. Joyner joined the Air Force Reserve Advisory Council in May 2006. She is the Senior Air
Force Reserve Advisor and Assistant Budget Director to the Deputy Commander Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, United States
Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. During her tenure in the personnel career field, she served on
active duty for seven years, spent five years in the Air National Guard as a traditional guardsman and twelve years as an
Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA). Her background includes assignments in the personnel and administration career
fields during her Air Force career. As part of her duties she assists the Senior Reserve and National Guard Advisors of the
Air Force, the Army and the Navy; in fulfilling force monitorship, readiness and mobilization responsibilities. CMSgt
Joyner received her degree in Business Administration from St Leo University. She resides in Tampa, Fl
Jennifer Kowalski
Captain
Jennifer.Kowalski@pentagon.af.mil
Captain Jennifer Kowalski joined the Air Force Association Reserve Council in September 2006. She is currently assigned as
the Officer in Charge, High Level Congressional Inquiries, on the Headquarters Air Force, Policy Integration staff. She
enlisted directly into the Reserve, as a traditional reservist for two years and then transferred to the IMA program for
almost thirteen years with positions held at the Air Force Reserve Command, Special Operations Command Central and Headquarters
Pacific Air Force, Intelligence Division. Upon graduation from Wayland Baptist University, she was commissioned through the
Academy of Military Science (AMS) training into the Communications and Information arena. Captain Kowalski resides in
Gaithersburg, MD with her husband Joseph and their two sons Jacob and Jarret.
Robert Palmer
Major
robert.palmer@osd.mil
Major Rob Palmer is serving on an AGR tour as the Chief of Strategic Communications for the National Committee
for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) in Arlington, Virginia. He was appointed to the council in
2005. After fifteen years as a public affairs officer and field artillery officer in the Army National Guard,
he joined the Air Force Reserve as an IMA at Headquarters, Air Mobility Command. In 2001, he deployed to Bosnia
as a public affairs officer for Task Force Eagle and in 2004, he spent four months as the interim chief of public
affairs for the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB.
Major Palmer is a 1990 graduate of The Citadel and has earned a Master of Public
Affairs from Indiana University and a Master of Arts from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts
University. He has completed Squadron Officer School and Air Command Staff College via correspondence and is
currently enrolled in the Reserve Component Advance Joint Professional Military Education (RC-AJPME) program at
the Joint Forces Staff College.
A native of Indiana, Major Palmer and his wife Kim reside in Springfield, Virginia
with their two sons, Grant and Andrew, a golden retriever named Reagan and a cat named Winston.
Anthony Rittwager
Chief Master Sergeant
Anthony.Rittwager@McGuire.af.mil
Chief Master Sergeant Anthony J. Rittwager joined the Air Force Reserve Council in September 2006 upon completion as a
council member of the Air Force Enlisted Council. He is currently the Accessories Flight Chief in the 514th Maintenance
Squadron, 514th Air Mobility Wing, McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. Born in Queens New York, he enlisted in the United
States Air Force in October 1980. Upon completion of Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, and Technical
Airlift/ Bombardment Aircraft Maintenance Course at Sheppard Air Force Base, he was then assigned to McGuire Air Force Base,
New Jersey. After separating from the active Air Force in January 1985, CMSgt. Rittwager joined the reserves and was assigned
to the 514th Military Airlift Wing, at McGuire Air Force Base, as an Air Reserve Technician, civilian repair and reclamation
specialist, and Reserve Team Chief in January 1985. In June 1989 he became the Repair and Reclamation’s Air Reserve
Technician (ART) shop chief. As a change in the Air Force’s command structure took place under production team maintenance,
CMSgt. Rittwager was selected to become one of the first Production Superintendents, resulting in his reassignment to the
514th Aircraft Generation Squadron. When McGuire Air Force Base prepared to down size the C141B fleet and bed down the C17,
CMSgt. Rittwager was selected to become the Accessories Flight Chief in the 514th Maintenance Squadron. CMSgt Rittwager is
married and he and his wife Susan have two children, Anthony Jr. and Alyssa who currently attend Northern Burlington High
School.
John Silvia
Colonel
john.silvia@luke.af.mil
Colonel Silvia was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force through
AFROTC program (Det 370th) in May 1981 at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He entered active service in
June 1981. Previous logistics assignments and experience include: Flightline Officer in Charge; OIC of Propulsion
Branch, TF-39 “Queen Bee” Operations; Chief of Maintenance, 433d Combat Logistics Support Squadron; Wing Maintenance
Operations Officer; Maintenance Supervisor for two different aircraft generation flights, Squadron Maintenance
Officer, Wing Social Actions Officer; Commander of the 433d Logistic Support Squadron; 944th Maintenance and Aircraft
Maintenance Squadron; two USSOUTHCOM assignments; one as senior event logistics coordinator, FIDAE 98, USMILGP, US
Embassy, Santiago Chile and the other as a Traditional CINC Activities (TCA) Coordinator, USMILGP, US Embassy
Guatemala; Wing Civil Engineer for all MCP construction “Bed Down” projects - unit conversion for first AFRC unit
equipped C-5A Wing and as the C-5 FMS 800 / GPS Project Officer for “Speedline”; a depot level conversion completed
under field conditions that included AFRC, ANG, and active duty USAF C-5’s. Col Silvia holds a variety of Federal
Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission licenses that include: pilot, single-engine, land;
instrument rated; instructor (advanced ground), airframe and powerplant mechanic and Avionics Repairman License
(GROL). Col Silvia has logged hundreds of flight hours in a variety of aircraft including but not limited to: WW II
aircraft like the T-6 “Texan”, Consolidated / Vultee BT-13’s, North American YB-16 “Albatross” and the T-28 “Trojan”.
Col Silvia is currently assigned as Group Commander; senior Air Reserve Technician for
the 939th Maintenance Group, Portland IAP, Oregon as well as a member of the Air Force Association’s “Reserve
Council”. The Group provides on equipment launch, recovery and repair capabilities on all matters pertaining to
base-level repair, modification and maintenance for the KC-135R “Strato-Tanker” aircraft assigned to the 939th Air
Refueling Wing. This includes: overhauls, periodic and isochronal maintenance, inspections and repairs on Landing
Gear, Wheels and Brakes, Hydro-mechanical System component repairs and maintenance, Training Devices; Aircraft
Structures, Electronics; Avionics; Instruments; Electrical Power Systems; and other related aircraft components or
subsystems. Col Silvia is married to the former Patsy Chirila of St. Joseph, Missouri and they have two children.
Raymond J. “RJ” Stuermer
Lieutenant Colonel
Lt Col “RJ” Stuermer joined the Air Force Reserve Advisory council in 2005.
He is a 1986 graduate from Auburn University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Aviation
Management. He was commissioned through the ROTC program in 1986, and entered undergraduate pilot training at Williams AFB,
Arizona in 1987.
Following graduation from pilot training in 1988, Lieutenant Colonel Stuermer flew the T-37 as
a first assignment instructor pilot, and later was selected as the wing commander’s executive officer, with the 82nd Flying
Training Wing, Williams AFB, Arizona. In 1991, he moved to the 19th Air Refueling Wing, Robins AFB, Georgia where he was a
T-37 instructor pilot in the Accelerated Co-pilot Enrichment program. In 1994 he remained with the 19th Wing as an aircraft
commander in the KC-135R where 8 months later he upgraded to instructor pilot and supervisor of flying. In this short
amount of time he flew numerous critical missions to include sorties in Operation SUPPORT JUSTICE, DENY FLIGHT, and was
picked to lead the first five combat refuelings for Operation DELIBERATE FORCE. In 1996 he was assigned to the 559th Flying
Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas. He served as Pilot Instructor Training instructor in the T-37, and became a flight
commander and supervisor of flying. He later transferred to the 12th Operations Group, Randolph AFB, Texas where he was
Chief, Functional Check Flight division.
In 2001 Lt Col Stuermer was commissioned with the Air Force Reserve, and assigned to the 96th
Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas as a T-37 instructor pilot. He remained there only a year before re-training
in the military’s newest trainer, the T-6. He was furloughed from Delta in 2001, worked as a contract simulator instructor
for Lear Siegler Services Inc. and in 2006 was hired by FedEx Express. He is a Traditional Reservist currently serving as
the Squadron Commander for the 39th Flying Training Squadron “Cobras” at Moody AFB, GA.
He is married and resides in Valdosta, GA with his wife, Kelly, and three wonderful children,
Jacob age 15 Gabrielle age 12 and Zachary age 10.
Meleah Whetstone
Lieutenant Colonel
REVNM@aol.com
Lieutenant Colonel Meleah R. Whetstone is an Individual Mobilization Augmentee
(IMA) medical planner in the International Health Specialist Program, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command,
Robins AFB, Georgia.
The lieutenant colonel was born in Greenfield, Iowa and initially entered the Air
Force in 1974 as an enlisted member, serving as a medical technician, USAF Clinic, Peterson AFB, Colorado. She
was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-5) in 1979.
Col Whetstone was later commissioned in the Air Force Reserve in 1987.As a
traditional reservist (TR) she served as a flight nurse and flight nurse instructor in the 40th Aeromedical
Evacuation Squadron (now the 446th AES). In 1994 the colonel became an IMA, 355th Medical Group, Davis-Monthan AFB,
Arizona.
Col Whetstone earned a diploma in nursing from the Beth El School of Nursing in 1982
and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA), with honors, from the Albers School of Business, Seattle
University, Seattle, Washington in 1989.
In her current civilian employment, Col Whetstone is a perianesthesia nurse at the
Tucson Surgery Center. Col Whetstone resides in Tucson with her two sons, Devin and Logan Mauney.
Kris Winder
Senior Airman
Kris.Winder@march.af.mil
Senior Airman Kris A. Winder joined the Air Force Reserve Advisory Council in September 2006. He is an Intelligence
Journeyman assigned to the 701st Combat Operation’s Squadron as an Analysis, Correlation, and Fusion analyst at March Air
Reserve Base, California. Senior Airman Winder started his military service upon entering the Marine Corps Reserve in August
1999, and transferred over to the Air Force Reserve in 2004. Senior Airman Winder graduated from the University of Nevada,
Las Vegas in June 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. In August 2005, he started his Master’s Degree in
International Relations at Pepperdine University, California after spending much of 2005 training and gaining operational
experience. Senior Airman Winder has several military awards to include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, and
the Small Arms Expert Ribbon. SrA Winder is also the 10th Air Force Airman of the Year for 2005.
Any corrections, additions, or
deletions should be furnished to Douglas Birkey
1-800-727-3337 ext. 4871,
Fax: 703-247-5853, E-mail:
dbirkey@afa.org
As of
November 08, 2007
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