Brady: Air Force retention, recruitment remain strong

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  • By Staff Sgt. Julie Weckerlein
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  The Air Force is pleased overall with its recruitment and retention statistics, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel said during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee April 6.

“We have been very successful, but we can never take the recruitment of great people with great skills for granted,” Lt. Gen. Roger A. Brady said.

“We began 2006 with a force imbalance, a shortage of enlisted personnel and an excess of officer personnel,” General Brady said. “After intentionally reducing total accessions in 2005, the Air Force is working to get the right mix of officer and enlisted Airmen as we move to a leaner, more lethal and more agile force.”

General Brady also discussed the importance of caring for Airmen and their families. He noted the various investments in improved military dormitory and family housing, as well as in childcare facilities and programs.

“Our focus (on childcare) enables our people to stay focused on the mission, confident that their children are receiving affordable, quality care,” he said.

Though the personnel numbers are good now, General Brady cautioned that the Air Force should not assume there wouldn’t be challenges ahead.

“As we continue to develop and shape the force to meet the demands of the air expeditionary force,” he said, “we continue to seek more efficient service delivery methods and opportunities to educate our future leaders, and make the extra efforts required to recruit and retain the incredible men and women (of our force.)”

Force development, including education, remains a top priority, too, he said.

“We must ensure Airmen worldwide have the world-class training, tools and development opportunities that best posture them to perform with excellence,” he said. “Foreign language training, as a part of professional military education, is a step toward developing regional cultural awareness.”

Most recruitment goals have been met and the number of Airmen being retained is good, even with the force-shaping changes taking place, General Brady said.

“Our Air National Guard (units) are a little short of where we want them to be, but their retention remains very high,” he said.

At one point, the topic turned to an unlikely subject -- tattoos.

The general was asked about the policy after one of the representatives told a story of a young acquaintance who was turned away by an Air Force recruiter because he had cartoon characters covering his forearms. The member was concerned that such a policy could be preventing otherwise eligible candidates from becoming Airmen.

“We went through the tattoo issue about five years ago,” General Brady said. “It was our senior (noncommissioned officers) who brought it to our attention, saying ‘You guys have to do something about this.’”

At the time, society in general voiced concern about gangs and what certain tattoos meant, he said.

“The Air Force policy is that a tattoo cannot cover more than 25 percent of an exposed body part and may not be visible at all above the collar. This policy does not appear to be hurting Air Force recruitment numbers,” General Brady said.