RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
The 2010 Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program has a new look and focus as Air Force officials here seek to fill approximately 1,124 shortage career field and special duty positions.
The entire program has been reduced from nine months to 120 days to better serve both Airmen and the Air Force and will began Aug. 19.
NCOs given the opportunity to retrain will be notified by memorandum and must then submit their career field or special duty choices by Oct. 20.
According to Master Sgt. Deitra Mathis, the Air Force Personnel Center's enlisted retraining section superintendent, there are a couple key improvements to this year's program that should give Airmen more control and flexibility over their career path than in previous years.
"We've streamlined the program by constraining fiscal year 2010's program to 120 days versus the previous year, which ran about nine months," Sergeant Mathis said. "We believe this will have a smaller footprint on the Air Force, thus enhancing mission accomplishment and benefiting more Airmen."
Another improvement Airmen should take advantage of is initiating voluntary actions during Phase I of the program that make them ineligible for retraining like volunteering for a 365-day deployment, permanent change of station, Physician Assistance and Officer Precommissioning Program, separation, or retirement. However, Airmen are encouraged to concurrently volunteer for retraining in the event their voluntary action is not approved.
Sergeant Mathis also stated that disqualified Airmen with 9A000 reporting identifiers can now apply for NCO Retraining Program quotas that are not otherwise restricted.
"This is another improvement to the program since in previous years our 9A000 disqualified Airmen could only get those last minute, hard to fill quotas," she said.
NCOs can best control the course of their future Air Force careers by taking action during the voluntary phase of the retraining program.
"Many Airmen fail to act during the voluntary phase and then find themselves in the involuntary training program ," Sergeant Mathis said. "Last year, Airmen who did not submit the mandatory package in Phase I were given an [Air Force specialty code] based on their qualifications and the needs of the Air Force."
If the voluntary phase fails to meet requirements to fill shortage career fields and special duty positions, then Air Force senior leaders will implement Phase II of the program to begin involuntary retraining.
In Phase II, eligible individuals in AFSCs not meeting retraining-out objectives, and without approved retraining or assignment to a special duty identifier by Oct. 12, will have an AFSC assigned involuntarily based on the individual's qualifications and the needs of the Air Force.
AFPC officials will post a list of eligible NCOs by grade and AFSC on the virtual Military Personnel Flight Web site. This secure site can be accessed through the Air Force Portal or the AFPC "Ask" Web site.
Military personnel sections will manage the retraining program and also notify members if they are eligible. Additionally, they will suggest special duty positions like recruiting, postal duty, military training instructor or professional military education instructor.
"It's important for all Airmen to understand once they are identified for retraining in Phase I that they remain eligible for Phase II unless they are retrained, released or separated from military service," Sergeant Mathis said.
For more information, Airmen should contact the base military personnel section, career assistance adviser or the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102.