"Reserved" emotion

Airman, Sept, 2004 by Anthony Johnston

While sitting at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, waiting to use the computer to e-mail my family, I picked up the April 2004 issue of Airman. Then I noticed a picture of an Air Force major ["Academy Professor has More Than One-Mission Mind"] with this caption, " ... Maj. Michael Gleason was on active duty for 12 years before doing a stint as a traditional reservist and a civilian for three years. When he realized he missed serving his country, he came back to active duty."

Was that another shot at those of us who choose to proudly serve in a way different than those on regular active duty, or was it a really poor choice of words?

I, like the rest of the guardsmen and reservists serving in Southwest Asia and other places around the world, are serving our country, too. If I'm not serving my country, then what am I doing here?

Tech. Sgt. Anthony Johnston

Indiana Air National Guard

The most important part of the reformation you quoted was the end, which stated," ... he came hack to active duty in 2002 to do what he loves--teach and fly satellites." Major Gleason simply wanted to return to active duty to do what he loves full time. There was no intent to say that reservists don't serve their country. They certainly do. Ironically, the story mentions that two days a month the major leaves his job as an instructor to fly satellites with a unit fully manned by reservists.