A total of 117 Air Force specialties are eligible for bonuses this year, up from 40 in 2015, according to a press release. The expansion of the program lines up with service’s plan to grow the force and fill gaps in nuclear, maintenance, cyber, intelligence, remotely piloted aircraft, and support career fields. “This year’s SRB list increased by nearly threefold as we focused on retaining key experience while continuing our deliberate plan to grow our force,” said Col. Robert Romer, chief of military force policy for the Air Force. “We are increasing our accessions and training pipeline to support the increased growth, but these new enlistees won’t be seasoned for some time. Retaining the experience we have is critical to our success in reaching target end strength.”
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
