Air Force to Cut Over 8,000 Commissioned Officers
Friday July 28, 2006
For the past three years the Air Force has been downsizing, and Fiscal Year 2007 will be the same, with the exception that next year the primary focus will be on reducing the number of commissioned officers, rather than enlisted members. Air Force Officials say more than 8,000 officers must separate through normal attrition, retirement or force-shaping measures to achieve the required balance in force.
According to Lt. Gen Roger A. Brady, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, it's important to keep in mind what force shaping is all about. "We have to balance our (force) for now and the coming years to have the kind of force we need to win the long war we are in now and be prepared for whatever comes next."
According to Lt. Gen Roger A. Brady, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, it's important to keep in mind what force shaping is all about. "We have to balance our (force) for now and the coming years to have the kind of force we need to win the long war we are in now and be prepared for whatever comes next."
Comments
What! No “Blue to Green” program? I thought I had read that those officers judged non-competitive would have the opportunity to transfer to the Army? You know, “Here Army are the duds we don’t want in our service!”
This is a rotten way to treat our valued military people who have served their country and military, and who would have given their lives for their country.
The Air Force better be very careful in what they are planning. Force loyalty will drop if you start involuntary separating people. These officers would have died for the Air Force and now you are going to tell them that you think they are worthless? What are you planning to do with those who are below their 20 years for retirement, but have served over 15 years? Do those 15 years of service count for nothing? These people are career military officers and deserve the respect they have earned.
How can you be getting rid of soldiers in our military when you are still pleading for cannon fodder for Iraq?
I enlisted in 1976, just shortly after the beginning of the All Volunteer Force came into effect. Since then, I have only heard of stories ofthe numbers of officers cut by a “Reduction In Force” of RIF.
My veteran brothers and sisters have had to weather many hardships over the years, but this is the cruelest cut of all. Those who are not eligible for retirement benefits may be given a severance package, but in any case they will lose their livlihood.
No one enters military service planning to ’stay forever’. We all know that the day will come when we will have to leave. Barring the ‘ultimate sacrifice’ or a court-martial, all veterans hope to achieve a well deserved retirement, thereby being able to enjoy the blessings of liberty which they have striven to protect by their tenure.
For the Service, any of them, to release members just because they have too many is just unthinkable.
I understand things like budget constraints and force multipliers through technology, but I feel that resorting to a RIF of any kind, for officer or enlisted, smacks of fiscal mismanagement in the worse way.
My son is an officer in the Air Force and also a pilot. He went to the Air Force Academy for college. He is one of the officers that was told his career is over in the Air Force. I am so disappointed that after training him to become a pilot and to go through the Academy that you just let them go. As far as I’m concerned don’t ever go asking for people to enlist again. That should tell the government to stick it.