3,000 Sergeants in the Barrel?

Aug. 17, 2005

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

3,000 Sergeants in the Barrel?: The Air Force says it has notified more than 3,000 staff, technical, and master sergeants that they are vulnerable for retraining in 2006. If the service does not get enough sergeants to volunteer to retrain from overstaffed career fields into those with chronic shortages, it will, as it did last year, nominate candidates for career shifts. (Check the Air Force Personnel Center Web site for the latest vulnerability lists.)

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

Trending Stories

From Boneyard to Flagship: B-1 Pulled from Retirement Returns to Service at Dyess

What Does It Take to Ace the New Air Force Fitness Test?

New Pentagon Missile Program Could Pair with Air Force’s Affordable Munitions Push

Space Force Proposes Canceling Polar Missile Warning Program

Related

House Panel Proposes Eliminating SDA, Space RCO

May 27, 2026
House lawmakers this week included language in their version of the fiscal 2027 defense policy bill that would dissolve two Space Force rapid acquisition organizations, absorbing their programs and potentially replicating their authorities in the service’s new portfolio-based acquisition system. 

US Strikes Drone Site in Iran, Says Ceasefire Still in Place

May 27, 2026
The U.S. military struck Iran for the second time this week, carrying out attacks on an Iranian military facility on May 27, U.S. officials said. The skirmish occurred even as America and Iran continue to say they are seeking a negotiated deal to end the conflict.

New F-15E Depot Line Will Speed Up Installs of EW System

May 26, 2026
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center has opened a “speedline” to accelerate installations of a new electronic warfare suite on board F-15E fighters, as the service looks to upgrade and expand its EW toolkit.

US Hits Iranian Boats, Missile Sites; Iran Claims Drone Shootdown

May 26, 2026
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire multiple times May 25 in a brief but intense skirmish in the Persian Gulf. When the dust settled, both sides insisted they were still honoring a broader ceasefire and continuing to pursue a diplomatic agreement to open the Strait of Hormuz and address the…

Draft NDAA Would Authorize Multiyear Buys for F-35, F-15EX

May 26, 2026
The House Armed Services Committee released its first draft of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization bill on May 26. Among the many provisions in the defense policy bill are elements of legislation introduced in the Senate last month authorizing multiyear procurement contracts for the F-35 and F-15EX fighters.