"Creating" an IMA job?

[Square]

So my guard gig is getting ready to expire due to a unit mission change. I've been hunting for a guard/reserve position close to where I'm living.

I've traded emails with the DO of a range ops det, and he's interested in having some IMA support, but currently doesn't have any open positions. He mentioned that he's not really up to speed on getting reserve support. I'm going to get in touch with the IMA coordinator at ARPC (not sure if that's what the position is really called) for this region to see what's what.

Have any of you heard of or personally had any success in facilitating the creation of a position, and subsequently filling it?

I'm pretty ignorant of the funding side of things--I think I read somewhere that IDTs and AT are funded through ARPC? If I assessed into the reserve could I just work for man-days if the unit was able to come up with that funding somehow?

Any input would be appreciated.

[Vlnm]

I created an IMA slot, but it took a long time and I don't know what the process is these days, so I don't know what kind of a time window it will take for you. Yes, the Air Force was talking downsizing back then so don't let that talk discourage you.

But like anything if you talk to the people on the ARPC side that actually move the paperwork and line up the DO it might happen much quicker. My case it took almost two years to get the slot lined up that I ended up retiring in my old IMA slot. Yeah you can create the IMA in any manner, points only, or traditional two days a month and 14 days per year. At the end of it all ARPC will have to sign up for it. Given the timeline it might be best to find an IMA slot that has already been created and then having your bird in hand try to create your slot. Now depending on the IMA unit they might let you drill with the range guy, so he's glad to have you. Plus your regular unit now doesn't have to worry about how to keep you busy, but you will need to make sure that you are filling all of those mandatory annual training squares, which is pretty much all online now I believe. Part of the challenge is you will have the guy you work for to please, then the senior IMA geek who's there to make sure you are filling out all of your squares PME, etc. Then you will have the ARPC IMA manager of your group and they can be a real pain if they set up some annual training symposium for all IMAs but you for some reason have a regular job and can't attend the ARPC love fest, and they are the real pain because they approve your orders, mine was a major conehead. All in all it was a great deal, you used to be able to telecommute I don't know if you can still do that. Some people were IMA's like to Lakenheath so they'd go and do a huge tour and be done or in some cases they would work out of a local reserve unit to get their squares filled do some projects and then go to the foreign base for two weeks. There was this huge listing of all IMA vacancies plus there was a separate listing for IMA tours of duty or man days. I liked the IMA program, especially being able to pick up additional man days, and when I had to go min schedule it worked for me as well. Ask if they have any RPI coded IMA slots ya never know. Good luck!