Leaders, compelling mission keep AF strength high Published Sept. 17, 2004 By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Air Force leaders are struggling with a problem. The service has 20,000 more people than it is authorized. And as its leaders work to pare the numbers by 16,000 by the end of fiscal 2005, Airmen and would-be Airmen are standing in line to enlist or re-enlist."It's a fascinating problem for us," said Air Force Secretary Dr. James G. Roche. "Where people might think that because we are at war, we might be having difficulty with recruiting and retention, we have the opposite problem."Secretary Roche said he and other Air Force leaders "have to pinch ourselves" as they acknowledge the service's attraction to current and would-be Airmen."Our Airmen are staying more than they have in the past, pilots are returning, and our recruiting numbers are so high that we (have) to throttle it back in terms of not allowing as many to come on active duty," he said.New recruits are increasingly being channeled into "stressed" career fields, those high-demand specialties that need more manpower, Secretary Roche said.The Air Force's numbers problem boils down to the fact that the service has strong leaders who create a situation in which "Airmen don't want to leave," the secretary said."I'm dealing with a problem, but I keep laughing because I am terribly proud of our Airmen and the leadership of our first sergeants and our sergeants and our chiefs and our officers," he said.Compounding the situation, he said, is a strong emphasis on quality of life for Airmen and their families -- from improved housing, to higher pay, to better education and family-support programs.But Secretary Roche said he believes one of the most compelling reasons for joining and staying in the Air Force is the opportunity to play a meaningful role in the war on terrorism."One of the greatest motivating things for human beings is to recognize that others depend on (them) and that (they are) terribly, terribly important," Secretary Roche said.He said deploying to forward positions in the terror war -- something more Airmen are doing in the air and space expeditionary force -- drives home the point that "they are doing something very special for their country."Airmen "feel very good about that -- and they should," Secretary Roche said. "It makes them walk a little taller wherever they are."