The Air Force on Wednesday launched its Fiscal 2012 Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program to give about 900 second-term and career enlisted airmen the opportunity to shift from overage Air Force Specialty Codes to in-demand career fields that are short of personnel. Thirty AFSCs have been tapped for “retraining-out requirements,” meaning airmen in those fields can volunteer during the first phase of this initiative to change jobs. That’s an increase of five from Fiscal 2011, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials. Six specialties have “retraining-in restrictions,” which means that airmen in those fields are required to retrain in specific areas. Phase one runs through Aug. 6 for restricted fields and Sept. 16 for unrestricted ones. A second phase will immediately follow if there still is a need. (Randolph report by Jon Hanson)
A new Navy missile could fill a long-range air-to-air need for the U.S. Air Force’s fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation fighters. The Navy’s portfolio acquisition executive for munitions posted information on the AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile online on Aug. 22, the same day it unveiled the project at the service’s…