NCO retraining enters involuntary phase

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Russell Wicke
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) --  The Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program entered the involuntary retraining phase Dec. 10, targeting pay grades E-7 and below in career fields vulnerable for retraining in Fiscal 2008.

The voluntary phase successfully retrained 402 of the required 902 Airmen, said Tech. Sgt. Jaukena Springer, 1st Mission Support Squadron NCO in charge of employment.

This shortfall made it necessary to implement Phase II: involuntary retraining for an additional 500 Airmen.

Chief Master Sgt. Steve Sullens, Air Combat Command command chief master sergeant, said retraining is a new reality that modern Airmen are more than capable of facing.

"When I joined in '76, I knew I was going to be a cop. I had a life-long career track to be a cop, or I could retrain if I wanted to," Chief Sullens said. "The reality now is that folks, our patriots, join up to do a particular task and at four, six, sometimes eight, 10 or 12 years, we're telling them to do something else. Our people are smart, and I know they'll adapt and overcome."

All Airmen selected for involuntary retraining have been notified. According to Sergeant Springer, these Airmen have until Jan. 31 to submit completed retraining applications to the Air Force.

The retraining program is a tool to help balance out manning in the Air Force and match people with certain skills in hard-to-fill specialties, said Chief Master Sgt. William Plaza, 1st Mission Support Squadron chief enlisted manager. According to the chief, Air Force officials prefer to retrain affected Airmen into specialties with similar skill sets of the losing specialty.

Although the Air Force's retraining program isn't new, the number of Airmen requiring retraining has grown significantly in order to meet the Program Budget Decision (PBD 720) objectives, said Chief Plaza. Some career fields, he added, are overmanned and others are considered hard-to-fill.

"There are [hard-to-fill] career fields critical to fighting the Global War on Terror," said Chief Plaza. This program helps the Air Force better utilize "Airmen who have been doing exceptional work."

However, it's up to the affected Airmen to submit a retraining application to be eligible to stay. Airmen selected for retraining who do not submit an application "will be forced to leave the Air Force at the end of their enlistment," said Chief Plaza. Early separation is an option for some Airmen depending on their circumstances.

Chief Plaza said he sees this program more as an opportunity for Airmen who are retraining.

"The Air Force is giving individuals an opportunity under phase II to make a choice to stay," he said. "Phase Two [also] offers an opportunity for individuals to expand their skill set ... and get more experience."

Airmen with a broad range of skills are necessary, he said, because the Air Force is evolving to meet the global threat.

"The Air Force is moving at lightning speed," added Chief Plaza. "We've got to have competencies that cover the entire spectrum of our force. Our retraining program is just one tool to get the right Airmen in the right job to meet our mission."