Change your AFSC; Retraining opportunities released

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Camilla Griffin
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz., --  More than 900 non-commissioned officers will need to crosstrain into undermanned career fields or face forced retraining and possible forced separation during fiscal year 2014, according to the Air Staff.

Airmen can use the newly released retraining advisory to find jobs they are interested in crosstraining into, and help the enlisted force structure meet current and future Air Force requirements.

If unbalanced career fields are not balanced voluntarily, Airmen in overmanned fields may be forced to separate or retrain.

Phase one retraining gives Airmen from overmanned Air Force specialty codes a chance to submit a voluntary retraining application to fill requirements in critical AFSCs. All Airmen within an overmanned career field may apply for any AFSC that is undermanned.

During phase one, if the retraining objectives for the fiscal year are not met voluntarily, implementation of phase two is necessary.

Phase two retraining will select Airmen for mandatory retraining based on Air Force needs to balance the force.

"They take NCOs in over manned career fields that meet specific criteria and move them," said Master Sgt. April Little, 355th Force Support Squadron career advisor. "For example, security forces Air Force-wide has more than 100 technical sergeants that need to move into either the combat arms training instructor job or the canine handler job."

According to Air Staff there are more than 900 NCOs that will need to crosstrain, or will be forced to separate.

"It kind of forces NCOs to make a move before Air Staff picks for them," Little said. "It gives NCOs a chance to have a say in what will happen to their Air Force career."

Not every NCO is on the chopping block.

"NCOs that have been in the career field for a shorter period and have just put on staff, tech, or master will be the most vulnerable as long as they meet all other requirements," Little said.

NCOs must submit all retraining paperwork by the given suspense. Failure to do so will require completion of the AF Form 964 rendering the Airman ineligible for promotion, assignment, reenlistment, extension and they will separate on their Date Of Separation or sooner if mandated under an announced force management program.