Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Roger Brady told lawmakers that USAF recruiters have “filled every requirement” for combat control, pararescue, tactical air control party, linguists, and survival, escape, resistance, and evasion positions since 2001. Recruiters have been helped in filling these critical specialties by the initial enlistment bonuses—from $3,000 to $12,000—enacted by Congress. However, Brady added that retention in critical skills such as combat control, explosive ordnance disposal, and pararescue is falling short in the active Air Force. And, it takes time to train people for these skills. For instance, Gen. Michael Moseley, USAF Chief of Staff, told another Congressional panel that the Air Force is “behind” in training pararescue personnel because they “are so highly trained that it takes two and a half or three year to train one.”
The Department of the Air Force has identified 50 programs that will make up the core of its contribution to the Pentagon’s joint all-domain command and control effort, branding them part of the “DAF Battle Network,” according to newly-released budget documents. The DAF Battle Network programs span multiple offices and agencies…