According to the Air Force, enlisted airmen who serve in chronically short critical skills have a “greater opportunity for promotion” than airmen serving in other fields. For 2008 there are 37 specialties that are considered chronic critical skills because they are typically manned at only 85 percent of authorizations. In those 37 fields, the service has boosted promotion rates 1.2 times higher than normal, said CMSgt. Mark Long, USAF’s enlisted promotions and evaluations policy chief at the Pentagon. (Air Force report by SSgt. Julie Weckerlein)
Weeks after canceling one major satellite communications program, the Space Force took early steps in the development of another July 29, announcing contracts for five companies to showcase how their commercial designs can meet the military’s requirements