DAYTON, Ohio — From combat readiness to rapid global response, for many, serving in the Air Force Reserve Command is a way to give back to their country while keeping their careers and family life strong at home.

The 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton plays a critical role in Aeromedical Evacuations and strategic transportation.

“Everybody gets two straps. So the first strap is going to go across your chest. Go ahead and pull your arms up for me,” said Flight Nurse Lt. Allison Wintin as she secured the straps on a patient waiting to be carried into the aircraft.

Like all of her fellow airmen on the mission, she could be called to deploy at a moment’s notice. 

“It’s like a combat situation, and we don’t know who’s coming and who has what and we just got to load and go,” she said.

Because of these types of trading, reservists can mesh right in with active duty troops when they’re called.

They can deploy almost anywhere around the world.

About 1,700 people make up the 445th.

Most are traditional reservists who serve in the military part-time.

Right now, the wing has troops deployed to Spain, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

“I work at the VA up in Cleveland. So I work in the float pool so I got all around the hospital, med-surg to ICU,” said Wintin.

Before joining the 445th, she was enlisted for 14 years and worked in ammo.

She became a nurse on the outside and wanted to continue serving.  

“The scenarios we run, some are really sick, some just have abdominal pain. Just being in the air just makes it so much different. You don’t have all the stuff you need, people can tank on the aircraft and you’re just kind of stuck,” Wintin said.

That’s why these types of trainings are critical.

While the 445th is a nationwide organization spanning 38 states, the majority of airmen come from right here in Ohio, making it a key piece of the puzzle for recruitment.

Lt. Col Keith Buddelmeyer is a full-time pilot and is from the Dayton area.

He has been serving for 34 years.

“Flying is my passion. I’ve been lucky enough to do it for this long now, going from fighters, to drones, to now cargo. I’ve seen a little bit of everything," Buddelmeyer said.

Maj. Trevor Tomlin is also a pilot but has a different story.

“I’m a traditional reservist. So I have a normal life, 9 to 5 job of an engineer for the government,” he said.

When Tomlin was active duty, he did engineering, and once he got out, he wanted to stay in the area.  

“It allows me to serve my country and also maintain a civilian work-life balance,” Tomlin said.

For Wintin, while this is certainly a different job, it’s one she’s ready for.

“Probably the most fun I’ve had in my career is being deployed. Just knowing I’m caring for veterans on the back end and now I’m caring for them as they’re currently serving, that’s what really got me into this,” Wintin said.

You can join the Air Force Reserve at 17 with a parent’s signature, all the way up to 42 years old.

Local ties are extremely important for recruitment and you can specifically request to join the local wing.

This particular training flight lasted more than two hours.

The team flew from Wright-Patterson AFB over to Cleveland, and then to Pittsburgh, Charleston, Knoxville, Nashville and Cincinnati before coming home.