88 Airmen face involuntary retraining Published May 7, 2004 RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Many Airmen have volunteered to change career fields or separate under the initial phase of the Air Force's fiscal 2004 noncommissioned officer retraining program. As part of the program's Phase II, Air Force officials have notified 88 Airmen selected as most vulnerable to retrain and asked them to submit their choices of shortage career fields they would most like to retrain into. If they to do not voluntarily apply for retraining by May 24, those without approved retraining or special-duty assignments will have another Air Force specialty chosen for them by Air Force Personnel Center officials here. Their retraining class date will be scheduled by June 7, said Chief Master Sgt. Alvin Diaz, chief of the center’s skills management branch. "This phase of the retraining program is necessary to help meet the needs of the Air Force by putting Airmen where they are needed most," he said. Under Phase II, not everyone is guaranteed his or her first choice, officials said. Major commands continue to accept volunteer applications and personnel officials encourage all eligible NCOs to also consider special-duty assignments that need to be filled. Some of these include recruiting jobs, military training instructors, first sergeant duty or professional military education instructor, officials said. However, the member must have approval before the May 24 deadline."There's still time for those who have been identified for possible retraining to volunteer," Chief Diaz said. "It's up to each Airman, but if it were me, I'd think having control over my career would be a priority and help reduce the stress of not knowing … I'd volunteer."The retraining program is designed to help balance the enlisted force by moving NCOs in specialties with surpluses to those with shortages, Chief Diaz said."We will work with those who have been selected for retraining, as we would any retraining case, in order to make the transition as smooth as possible for the Airman and his or her family while still meeting the needs of the Air Force," said Tech. Sgt. Derek Hughes, noncommissioned officer in charge of Air Force retraining at the center. Vulnerability listings by grade and Air Force specialty are posted on the Web and will be updated weekly on the Air Force Personnel Center's restricted site at https://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/enlskills/Retraining/retraining.htm. Local military personnel flights have more details about the program. (Courtesy of AFPC news Service)