Nearly 1,100 noncommissioned officers who have been tagged as retraining eligible for Fiscal 2006 are staring down separation alley if they don’t opt for retraining into one of 30 undermanned specialties before the May 15 deadline, said Air Force Personnel Center officials. So far this year, the Air Force has only retrained 442 out of a goal of 1,069. Officials also noted that targeted airmen who decline to be retrained might scotch any chance of switching to another service, the Air National Guard, or Air Force Reserve Command. Ouch!
When the Air Force sets a new program baseline for the B-52 re-engining this fall, there will be “some” cost increase, because the project wasn't previously fully funded, and the Air Force has a better handle on actual supplier costs and knowledge from ground testing, program officials said.