Air Force meets 2006 enlisted, OTS recruiting goals

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RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  The Air Force exceeded its fiscal 2006 enlisted recruiting goal of 30,750 by assessing 30,888 men and women into active duty from Oct. 1, 2005, through Sept. 30, 2006.

Air Force Recruiting Service also was successful in recruiting line officers and chaplains, bringing in 485 line officers and 31 chaplains for 100 percent of the yearly goal.

Line officers include pilots, navigators and those in technical and non-technical fields who attend Officer Training School, which is one of three commissioning sources. The other commissioning sources are Air Force ROTC and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. 

"Our recruiting team, like our new ad campaign says, truly did something amazing," said Brig. Gen. Suzanne M. "Zan" Vautrinot, AFRS commander.

"The Air Force needed more than 30,000 new professionals in 150 career fields and we accomplished that 100-percent plus," the general said. "Our nation asked the Air Force to provide special skills to ensure pararescue, combat controllers, linguists and other technically and physically challenging areas were filled, and we did that. Our Air Force showcased extraordinary career opportunities and brought in amazing people to protect our great nation."

While the Air Force met its overall recruiting goal, the service continues to face the challenge of finding physicians, dentists and nurses to meet its health-professions requirements. The Air Force recruited 757 health professionals against a requirement of 1,382.
 
With the start of the new fiscal year, General Vautrinot emphasizes the Air Force still needs hundreds of doctors, dentists, nurses and pharmacists, as well as ground and airborne linguists. It also needs people to fill special-operations career fields such as pararescue and combat control.

The enlisted accessions goal for fiscal year 2007 is 27,760 new recruits, while the goal for line officers is 482, representing a reduction from 2006 due to continued force-shaping measures.