Crazy Canuck,

If you are Canadian, it shouldn't make sense. Here's a primer:

AD = Active Duty, just like the Canadian Forces, full time. USAF has pilots, but so does the USN, the US Marines and even the US Army. Every service has pilots down here. The only surprise for me is that the Navy kept a lock on subs. The Army has loads of boats including tugs, btw.

The Air National Guard is a state military component that flies real USAF planes including such things as the B-1 and the C-5. There is an F-22 ANG unit, associated with the 1st Fighter Wing (AD). At one time the Ohio ANG was one of the largest air forces outside of the USAF and NATO.

Every service has Reserves that fly planes of all sorts. USN and USMC has whole carrier air wings in the Reserve. All the C-5s are Reserve now. Some AD wings have Reserve wings attached.

Finally, the USAF Reserve and the ANG can send student pilots to Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) to fly their unit's planes.

GF