BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. —

Over the past two years, Individual Mobilization Augmentee Col. Carl Magnusson has travelled the globe in support of a variety of U.S. operations.

The U.S. Pacific Command Air Force Reservist has seen Japan, the Philippines, and Mongolia as a joint exercise control group director, and most recently, Kuwait and Turkey, where he supported Operation Inherent Resolve.

As an IMA, Magnusson is assigned to US PACOM’s Operations Directorate. As a reservist, it’s his job to augment PACOM exercises. After talking things over with his family, he decided that 2015 was his turn to step up and let PACOM utilize his expertise full-time. He saw the 365-day voluntary mobilization as an opportunity to put all his training to use but he had no idea it would turn out the way it did. Two years and three extensions later, he says he has realized Reservists need to be flexible and ready to serve when and where they are called.

“Many of our partner nations put great stock in interpersonal relationships,” he said. “We still have many friends at the personal level within the Turkish military, which is an important partner and ally.” Looking back on his experiences of the last two years, especially the deployment to Turkey, Magnusson said he has a better understanding of geopolitics and has a deeper appreciation of our contributions and sacrifices in Northern Syria and Iraq.

?i3 Reservist wraps up two-year mobilization