Force shaping opportunities expand in 2005

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. David A. Jablonski
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  Air Force personnel officials encourage more Airmen to seek opportunities to exit the service under an expanded force-shaping program in fiscal 2005.

Planners have opened more career fields for force-shaping eligibility by dropping from a 100-percent sustainment level to 95 percent. This increases the eligibility pools by about 30 percent for enlisted Airmen and 50 percent for officers. The force-shaping initiatives include two phases encompassing fiscal 2004 and 2005 to move the Air Force closer to its authorized end strength of 359,700.

Initially, the force-shaping goal targeted 3,900 officers and 13,700 enlisted for separation. Because of record retention rates, that total of 16,000 is expected to increase to almost 24,000 by Sept. 30.

“We wanted to open up the aperture to get on the proper glide slope to reach our end-strength goal by the end of 2005,” said Col. Mike Hayden, the Air Force chief of military personnel policy.

“In order to do that and minimize impact on accessions, we wanted to provide more opportunities to those people wanting to leave (the Air Force) right now,” he said.

“By lowering the force sustainment level to 95 percent, we are able to review previously disapproved applications,” Colonel Hayden said. “We had quite a few people interested in departing, and yet we were holding sustainment at 100 percent. This change will allow more career fields to play. Additionally, we will continue to assess our glide path and evaluate needed adjustments to accessions. We’ll do that throughout the year.”

About 1,000 Airmen who initially applied and were disapproved will be reviewed again and contacted to see if they are still interested. Offers to those and newer applicants are being extended on a first-come, first-served basis.

“In the past when we’ve posted the force-shaping matrix online, some people looked at it and said ‘I don’t even have an opportunity here,’” said Maj. John Silverman, the Air Force chief of separation and retirement policy.

“This will now give more people an opportunity to apply and be approved,” he said. “We know that, initially, we open the door for approximately 1,000 Airmen (who) were previously disapproved.”

Personnel officials said they hope active-duty Airmen will remain part of the total force by choosing separation options such as Palace Chase, Operation Blue to Green or transitioning to civil service.

The latest force-shaping opportunities are now available on the Air Force Personnel Center Web site at www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/retsep/shape2.htm.