WASHINGTON -- The Air Force needs 1,100 noncommissioned officers in surplus career fields to voluntarily retrain into shortage career fields to balance the enlisted force in 2004.

The voluntary phase of the fiscal 2004 NCO Retraining Program began Jan. 5 and ends Feb. 23. The program helps balance the enlisted force by moving staff, technical and master sergeants from specialties with surpluses to specialties with shortages.

Imbalances in the mid-level NCO grades among specialties occur as a result of personnel force structure changes, differing retention trends among specialties, and the equality of promotions across all skills.

If needed, personnel officials will resort to an involuntary retraining phase March 8 through April 26.

"While every effort is made to attract volunteers, some NCOs may be selected for involuntary retraining if the number of volunteers falls short," said Lt. Col. Kim Haney, chief of the Air Force skills requirements branch at the Pentagon. "The enlisted force is not perfectly balanced so we have to take some action to get as close as possible."

The Air Force's fiscal 2003 retraining program was the first action taken in five years, Colonel Haney said. Some NCOs did not act upon the opportunities presented to them and as a result were involuntarily retrained.

"It's really in the best interest for those identified for retraining to take action and investigate the possibilities," Colonel Haney said.

Tech. Sgt. Derek Hughes, NCO in charge of Air Force enlisted retraining at the Air Force Personnel Center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, said he believes more people identified for retraining in 2004 will consider their options and seek out opportunities.

"I believe that we'll be more successful in the voluntary portion this year because people learned last year that the Air Force was serious about the program. People who were vulnerable, who didn't make their own choice, had it made for them," Sergeant Hughes said.

"Last year we identified people for retraining by name and we're doing that again. They'll get a ‘rip’ saying they're vulnerable," Sergeant Hughes said.

A Web page shows them how vulnerable they are and where they stand on a list of their peers by Air Force Specialty Code and grade. The Web page is available at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/enlskills/retraining/retraining/htm. Users must log onto their virtual MPF account to view the data.

The voluntary phase is not limited to individuals identified on the list. Anyone matching the specialty code and grade, who is otherwise eligible, can apply for retraining during the voluntary phase.

"Last year, there weren't enough volunteers in Phase 1, so we did a non-vol phase," Sergeant Hughes said. "And even after that, 200 people still didn't submit applications, so we had to pick jobs for them. They chose not to decide and were not necessarily happy with results. We'd rather tell them how to be proactive, how to find something that would interest them."

A complete list of retraining-in opportunities is available on the retraining advisory at local military personnel flights. Vulnerability listings for retraining-out by grade and specialty code will be updated on a weekly basis. The MPF also provides real-time updates for applications and actual program status numbers.