It's been a long time since the Guard flew "Older aircraft". The average KC-135 in Guard units is only 1 year older than tha average active duty bird, 47.7 46.6 years respectively. The Guard C-130s are actually younger on average than their Active Duty counterparts, 20.9 verses 32.9. Average active duty F-15C/D is 24.7 years old, average Guard F-15 is 29.7 years old. For F-16s it is 17.9 years for the active duty fleet, 20.1 years for the Guard fleet.
For the F-15s some of that age difference reflects the mission differences. Guard F-15s are almost exclusively in Air Defence mission (i.e. guarding the US Mainland, plus Alaska & Hawaii against foreign bomber threat, (and the odd Muzzie terrorist), while the active duty fleet is in Tactical fighter units, tasked go against an adversaries own fighter aircraft, a somewhat more demanding mission in terms of needed to have the "latest and greatest". (Data on ages are as of Sept. 30, 2008)
Interesting. Thank you. As a civilian, who’s never had the honor to serve, I’ve always read from fiction (Clancy, etc.) the popular media, and perhaps stuff from “active” forces, that held that reserves and Guard got “hand-me downs”. There were lots of implications of the Guard “not being able to cut it” if the balloon really went up with inferior equipment and less training.
I see now that, as has been implied in material from this current war, that many reserves and many guard units are often just as engaged as active, though just in a different mission when in CONUS. If fact, it might be hard to tell the difference in USAF units, given what you’ve said.
It’s all far beyond the “weekend warrior” image of the old recruiting ads.