Airmen remain in control of their futures

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sarah McDowell
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  In spite of the Air Force’s force-shaping measures, Airmen are learning they remain in control of their futures, even in over-manned career fields.

There are choices for those whose re-enlistments are coming up soon: retrain, join the Guard or Reserve, join the Army with “Operation Blue to Green” or separate, officials said.

“Any Airman in an over-manned career field needs to start looking at his [or her] options now, retraining being first,” said Senior Master Sgt. Jeffrey Kahapea, 325th Fighter Wing career-assistance adviser here.

Airmen who think they are safe and will not be affected by force shaping will have it the hardest, because they have not planned for their future, he said.

There are 29 over-manned career fields, and out of those, 1,259 first-term Airmen have not received a career-job reservation, said Master Sgt. Dee Wolfe, Air Force Personnel Center noncommissioned officer in charge of personnel actions at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

Airmen will not be allowed to re-enlist without a CJR unless they have been selected for special duty or retraining, she said.

Therefore, Airmen in over-manned specialties applying for special duty are only safe for the time they serve that special duty since they still hold the same specialty code, said Staff Sgt. Clinton Minor, the center’s NCO in charge of retraining.

These choices are part of the planning process for those who know they need to retrain, Sergeant Kahapea said. But for those who choose not to plan, Air Force officials will give them two choices: Either retrain into what the Air Force needs or get out.

“We will try our best to get Airmen in jobs comparable to their current field,” Sergeant Kahapea said.

When it comes to new opportunities, there are many choices for Airmen. Most can retrain into security forces and aircraft maintenance, but there are many more under-manned fields such as logistics planners, linguists and air-traffic controllers.

There are also many special-duty options, such as enlisted aircrew, from boom operator to flight engineer, loadmaster and flight attendant. Also, there are spaces available in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, as well as a need for recruiters and military training instructors.

The Air Force has also changed the way it handles its business when it comes to recruiting and training.

“This initiative has changed our job as career-assistance advisers from retention specialists to force shapers,” Sergeant Kahapea said. “The bottom line is Airmen have control over their career now, as long as they start planning as soon as they are notified.” (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)