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Related Resources • War/Deployment • Air Force Stop-Loss Center

(Note: "Stop Loss" is a program which allows the service to temporarily halt all separations and retirement during times of war, deployments, or National Emergency).

03/14/03 - WASHINGTON -- The assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs has authorized the use of Stop-Loss to retain specific skills needed to meet national security objectives. Effective May 2, (2003) 43 officer and 56 enlisted specialties will be affected by Stop-Loss.

We do not take this action lightly," said Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche. "Stop-Loss is designed to preserve critical skills essential to supporting the global war on terrorism, while ensuring we're prepared to meet other contingencies."

"We've implemented Stop-Loss to ensure we have the necessary skilled personnel to conduct operations," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper. "We'll use it only as long as necessary to accomplish our mission."

Stop-Loss is being implemented across the active duty, Air Force Ready Reserve and Air National Guard for the affected career fields in the ranks of airman through colonel, according to Maj. Teresa L. Forest, chief of Air Force retirements and separation policy at the Pentagon.

Both the secretary and chief of staff are acutely aware that the Air Force is an all-volunteer force and that this action, while essential to meeting the service's worldwide obligations, is inconsistent with the fundamental principles of voluntary service.

"We take Stop-Loss seriously and are working hard to ensure the lives of our airmen, their families and their civilian employers are not disrupted any longer than is necessary to meet our national commitments," Jumper said.

Therefore, a waiver process will be implemented for those people with unique circumstances.

"We are doing our best to minimize this disruption," Roche said. "And we will look at unique circumstances on a case-by-case basis and do all we can to offer appropriate relief."

"We understand the individual sacrifices that our airmen and their families will be making," Jumper said. "We appreciate their unwavering support and dedication to our nation."

For more information about Stop-Loss, people can contact their local military personnel flight or the Air Force Personnel Center's Stop-Loss Control Center at (210) 565-2374 or DSN 665-2374.

Officer AFSCs Affected

Officer applies to primary Air Force specialty code regardless of prefix or suffix except where indicated):

11AX Airlift Pilot
11BX Bomber Pilot
11EX Test Pilot
11FX Fighter Pilot
11GX Generalist Pilot
11HX Helicopter Pilot
11KX Trainer Pilot
11RX Recce/Surv/Elect Warfare Pilot
11SX Special Operations Pilot
11TX Tanker, C-12 Ctp Pilot
12AX Airlift Navigator
12BX Bomber Navigator
12EX Test Navigator
12FX Fighter Navigator
12GX Generalist Navigator
12KX Trainer Navigator
12RX Recce/Surv/Elect Warfare Navigator
12SX Special Operations Navigator
12TX Tanker Navigator
13BX Air Battle Manager
13DXA Combat Rescue
13DXB Special Tactics
13MX Airfield Operations
14NX Intelligence
31PX Security Forces
32EX Civil Engineer
43EX Bioenvironmental Engineer
43HX Public Health
43TX Biomedical Laboratory
44EX Emergency Services Physician
44MX Internist
45AX Anesthesiologist
45BX Orthopedic Surgeon
45SX Surgeon
46FX Flight Nurse
46MX Nurse Anesthetist
46NXE Critical Care Nurse
46SX Operating Room Nurse
48AX Aerospace Medicine Specialist
48GX General Medical Officer
48RX Residency Trained Flight Surgeon
51JX Judge Advocate
71SX Special Investigator

Enlisted AFSCs

Enlisted applies to current Air Force specialty code regardless of prefix or suffix except where indicated:

1A0XX In-Flight Refueling
1A1XX Flight Engineer
1A2XX Loadmaster
1A3XX Airborne Communications & Electronics Systems
1A4XX Airborne Battle Management
1A5XX Airborne Mission Systems
1A7XX Aerial Gunner
1A8XX Airborne Cryptologic Linguist
1C0X1 Airfield Management
1C1XX Air Traffic Control
1C2XX Combat Control
1C3XX Command Post
1C4XX Tactical Air Command & Control
1C5XX Aerospace Control & Warning System
1N0XX Intelligence Applications
1N1XX Imagery Analysis
1N200 Signals Intelligence Analysis Manager
X1N2XX Aircrew Signals Intelligence Production
1N3X4 Far East Cryptologic Linguist
1N3X5 Mid-East Cryptologic Linguist
1N3X6 African Cryptologic Linguist
1N3X7 Turkic Cryptologic Linguist
1N3X8 Polynesian Cryptologic Linguist
1N3X9 Indo-Iranian Cryptologic Linguist
1N4XX Signals Intelligence Analysis
1N5XX Electronic Signals Intelligence Exploitation
1n6xx Electronic System Security Assessment
1S0XX Safety
1T1XX Aircrew Life Support
1T2XX Pararescue
2E2X1 Com, Network, Switching & Crypto Systems
2F0X1 Fuels
2T3X2A Special Vehicle Maintenance (Fire Trucks)
2T3X2B Special Vehicle Maintenance (Refueling Vehicles)
3C0X1 Communications - Computer Systems Operations
3C2X1 Communications - Computer Systems Control
3E000 Electrical (Cem)
3E0X2 Electrical Power Production
3E4X1 Utilities Systems
3E4X2 Liquid Fuels Systems Maintenance
3E5X1 Engineering
3E7X1 Fire Protection
3E8X1 Explosive Ordnance Disposal
3E9X1 Readiness
3H0X1 Historian
3N0XX Public Affairs & Radio/TV Broadcasting
3P0XX Security Forces
4A1XX Medical Material
4A2XX Biomedical Equipment
4B0XX Bioenvironmental Engineering
4E0XX Public Health
4H0XX Cardiopulmonary Laboratory
5J0X1 Paralegal
7S0X1 Special Investigations
8D000 Linguist Debriefer
9L000 Interpreter/Translator

Above Article by Staff Sgt. A.J. Bosker, Air Force News Service