Considering changes in retention in the military services, the Air Force is ready to address this. As of June 1, first-term Airmen can retrain into any Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) they qualify for that is under 90% manned prior to separation, even if the AFSC they are currently in is below the 90% manning mark. The Retaining Selection Board is no longer required during the retraining application process.
Per the press release, Chief Master Sgt. Of the Air Force, JoAnne S. Bass stated, “providing these opportunities for our Airmen helps us keep talent on the bench. While this particular change impacts First Term Airmen, expect to see more initiatives like this as we evolve our policies and talent management to focus on the fore of the future and building the Air Force our nation needs.” This will remain in place until June 1, 2024, but could be rescinded earlier.
This retention change comes after the announcement that the Air Force faces a 10% recruiting shortfall. With a low unemployment rate and a lack of interest and eligibility to join the service, all military service branches are facing low recruitment. This announcement hopes to retain current Airmen, thus lessening the number of recruits needed overall. According to Major General Ed Thomas, the commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service, only 23% of Americans are eligible to serve, and 9% are interested in serving. Additionally, he said that 50% of American youth could not name all of the military services, and 65% of young Americans would not join for fear of death or injury, demonstrating their lack of familiarity and understanding of the military services and the jobs that are entailed.
As of this writing, the Space Force is on track to meeting its goals for recruitment, and the Air Force does have strong retention in comparison to other military service branches.
If this will change, the number of Airmen remaining is yet to be seen. Many challenges will face the Air Force in the coming years, so other programs should roll out in order to continue to bring in new talent and keep the talent within the Air Force.
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