Voluntary separation, retirement programs extended

  • Published
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  Air Force officials have announced an extension of voluntary separation and retirement programs for fiscal 2011 as part of the service's ongoing force-management initiatives.

Voluntary and involuntary force-management programs were implemented in fiscal 2010 due to record-high retention. For fiscal 2011, the service remains over its congressionally mandated end-strength.

"We have extraordinarily talented Airmen answering our nation's call worldwide," said Brig. Gen. Sharon K.G. Dunbar, the force management policy director at Headquarters Air Force. "With so many Airmen wanting to serve, we now have nearly 2,000 more Airmen serving than authorized and funded by Congress."

Based on end-strength limits, additional force-management measures are necessary to reduce the number of Airmen serving on active duty, officials said.

Officer voluntary measures include waiving time in grade and active-duty service commitments in targeted year groups; waiving all but two years of commissioning commitments for Air Force Academy and ROTC graduates, to include waiving recoupment of education and scholarship costs; and reducing the Reserve obligation for Palace Chase transfers from a three-year commitment ratio to one year for each remaining year of ADSC, officials said.

Enlisted voluntary measures will focus on Airmen in non-critical, overage specialties and year groups. These include waiving time-in-grade, limited ADSCs and up to two years of enlistment obligations. Palace Chase transfers are also available for enlisted Airmen with a one-to-one rather than a two-to-one year commitment.

Eligible Airmen can begin applying immediately for any of these voluntary programs.

General Dunbar said the challenge is balancing both the number and skills of Airmen within authorized, funded levels.

"Keeping the active-duty force within authorized end-strength levels will cause our active force to lose many great Airmen," she said. "However, our Air Force offers many ways to serve. We hope these Airmen will remain with us through civil service and reserve-component opportunities."

Airman and family readiness centers will continue providing transition support through transition assistance planning and veterans' benefits seminars.

These seminars will include information on opportunities available in the Air Force Reserve, the Air National Guard, Air Force civil service and the private sector, as well as educational options available with the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Senior Air Force leaders highly encourage Airmen to consider opportunities along the Air Force continuum of service of Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and civil service at www.usajobs.gov.

"Our Airmen are a trained and ready resource with the skills our Guard, Reserve and civil service need," General Dunbar said. "We definitely want to keep top talent in the Air Force family."