Air Force eases Stop-Loss restrictions

  • Published
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Air Force personnel officials announced May 14 the release of more than half of the Air Force specialty codes restricted from retirement or separation May 2 under the Stop-Loss program.

Following a review of operational requirements, 31 officer and 20 enlisted career fields were released from Stop-Loss, the officials said.

The officer career fields released are: 11BX, 11EX, 11FX, 11HX, 11KX, 12BX, 12EX, 12FX, 12KX, 12RX, 12TX, 13BX, 13DXA, 13DXB, 32EX, 43EX, 43HX, 43TX, 44EX, 44MX, 45AX, 45BX, 45SX, 46FX, 46MX, 46NXE, 46SX, 48AX, 48GX, 48RX and 51JX.

The enlisted career fields released are: 1C2XX, 1C4XX, 1S0XX, 1T1XX, 3E000, 3E0X2, 3E4X1, 3E4X2, 3E5X1, 3E7X1, 3E8X1, 3E9X1, 3H0X1, 3N0XX, 4A1XX, 4A2XX, 4B0XX, 4E0XX, 4H0XX and 5J0X1.

The Air Force announced Stop-Loss, a Defense Department program designed to retain members of the armed forces beyond their established dates of separation or retirement, for 99 specialties and deployed airmen March 13. The move was aimed at ensuring personnel levels were adequate to meet upcoming contingencies.

“It was not (an) action that we took lightly,” said Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche. “It was designed to preserve Air Force skills essential to supporting the global war on terrorism and operations in Iraq.”

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper pointed out that service officials have always said they will use Stop-Loss only as long as necessary to accomplish the mission.

“We’ve re-evaluated our requirements and are releasing these AFSCs because Stop-Loss is inconsistent with the fundamental principles of voluntary service,” Jumper said.

This announcement is the result of an in-depth review, said Maj. Teresa Forest, chief of Air Force retirements and separation policy at the Pentagon.

“A number of different factors went into the review process,” Forest said. “We had to consider the balance between the active duty and air reserve component, as well as the need to remain responsive to changing events worldwide.”

Deployed active-duty, Guard and Reserve airmen whose specialties are released from Stop-Loss will not be allowed to retire or separate until their deployment is completed, Forest said. Air reserve component airmen who are mobilized, but not deployed, will be demobilized according to ARC policy.

The actual “termination” of Stop-Loss has yet to be determined because Air Force officials and combatant commanders still need certain skills to directly support the war in Iraq, Forest said.

More career fields will likely be released in the future, she said, based on input from different levels around the Air Force. However, if airmen experience a severe hardship caused by Stop-Loss, they can apply for a waiver through their chain of command.

“Many families have had to put their plans on hold because of Stop-Loss,” Forest said. “We will make every effort to balance their needs with our commitment to operational requirements.”

Military personnel flights have more information.