IMA Day answers questions for Goodfellow Individual Mobilization Augmentees

  • Published
  • By Capt. Jennifer Richard
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Goodfellow Individual Mobilization Augmentees from across the country gathered in the Taylor Chapel Fellowship Hall for a first-of-its-kind IMA Day July 26.

Nineteen IMA Day attendees learned about various IMA matters ranging from duty requirements to fitness to performance evaluations. IMAs are Reservists attached to active-duty units, and they typically have a requirement to serve a minimum of 24 duty days a year.

"It's important to understand the IMA's role and the value to the squadron when IMAs are onboard," said Senior Master Sgt. Tammi Soto, the Base IMA Administrator for five bases, including Goodfellow. "Goodfellow has a heavy operations tempo, so it's helpful for IMAs to come in and backfill positions to make sure operations keep running."

Soto led the training aspect of IMA Day, presenting a briefing on IMA management. This was the first time that Soto conducted a large-scale training session with not only IMAs but also Unit Reserve Coordinators and IMA supervisors.

"The cross-feeding today was really good," said Soto. "The fact that IMAs were here with URCs and supervisors helped everyone put names to faces and helped IMAs become more familiar with their chains of command. Everyone got a big-picture view of the IMA program and can now better understand more than just their own part in the process."

Throughout the presentation, IMA Day attendees had the opportunity to ask questions on everything from voluntary deployments to promotions.

"There was a dynamic environment here today. A lot of questions were answered, and a lot of supposedly 'scary' things about the IMA program were demystified," said Chief Master Sgt. Sarah Wagnor, 17th Training Wing Air Reserve Component Advisor to the Commander. "People realized that the program isn't that hard and there are people here to support them."

The IMA Day concluded with a lunch provided by the Taylor Chapel team. Capt. Samuel McClellan, 17th Training Wing Chaplain, was the chapel's main point of contact for coordinating and hosting the event.

"As an IMA myself, I sometimes feel isolated, and I know that other IMAs might too,"  said McClellan. "I thought it would be a great idea to get everybody together to network and come together as a community. It is a blessing to me to see other people meet their Base IMA Administrator, have their questions answered, and decrease any anxieties they may have had."

While this IMA Day was a first of its kind for Goodfellow, the attendees agreed that it would be a valuable event to conduct on a recurring basis in the future.

"I have been an IMA for seven years, and I learned things today that I have never heard before," said Tech. Sgt. Richard Bart, 17th Security Forces Squadron Flight Chief. "I think events like this should happen more often. All in all it was a great function."