The Air Force is dropping numerous Air Force Specialty Codes from its list of selective reenlistment bonuses, effective Dec. 5, announced the Air Force Personnel Center. Among the 45 codes the service is eliminating are: air traffic control, aircraft structural maintenance, health and medical technicians, in-flight refueling, remotely piloted aircraft sensor operator, and special investigations, according to the center’s Nov. 26 release. The eligibility changes are posturing the Air Force for a smaller force as it adjusts to budget sequestration, said Brig. Gen. Gina Grosso, director of force management policy. “As the force gets smaller, skills that were undermanned are no longer short and we are adjusting the bonus program, accordingly,” she said. Some AFSCs, for which there remain high operational demands and low manning, will still be eligible for SRBs. Among them are: airborne cryptologic language analyst, combat control, cyberspace defense operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and pararescue, according to the release. (Randolph report by Debbie Gildea)
Air Force exercises in the Indo-Pacific may soon get even bigger and more robust, as lawmakers move to invest more than $620 million in such efforts. The bulk of that money, contained in a $150 billion reconciliation package currently making its way through Congress, is $532.6 million for earmarked for…