VOVEMBER 3, 2016, JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) – The Air Force has released fiscal year 2017 retraining quotas for eligible NCOs via the NCO Retraining Program.
The retraining program is a complimentary tool used to help balance and sustain the enlisted force as the Air Force continues to grow. While the Air Force is still undermanned across the force, certain skill and grade levels within some Air Force specialty codes are healthier than others which provides an opportunity for retraining some Airmen.
“We continue to grow the force and are maximizing our accessions. As a result, training seats are at a premium and most AFSCs are at or near max capacity,” said Brig. Gen. Brian Kelly, the director of Military Force Management Policy. “Correspondingly, our retraining opportunities are limited and focus on balancing the inventory between AFSCs where our inventory is healthier and those where manning is lower in both the first-term Airman and NCO retraining areas.”
Kelly added that the Air Force has married its retraining process with broad re-enlistment bonuses and high year of tenure extensions which has resulted in improved retention.
Those AFSCs identified as eligible for retraining-out represent areas where the current inventory of Airmen, based on skill and grade, is healthy enough to take some risk. Those AFSCs identified as eligible for retraining-in currently have lower inventories where current risk can be reduced by adding additional Airmen.
To assist Airmen with an interest in retraining, a new retraining instrument called the Air Force Work Interest Navigator (AF-WIN) tool was introduced this year for NCOs. AF-WIN, located on the retraining page via myPers, helps Airmen identify potential career fields by answering a series of questions regarding functional communities, job context and work activities.
According to Master Sgt. Kristie Reece, the Air Force Personnel Center Enlisted Skills Management Branch superintendent, the AF-WIN tool creates a customized job interest report from the member’s responses and compares individual interests to all entry-level AFSCs.
“You will still want to visit the enlisted retraining advisory, however, because AF-WIN does not tell you if that career field is available or whether you are eligible,” she said.
The enlisted retraining advisory on myPers is updated in real time, and assists Airmen with identifying career fields with retraining-in quotas in their grade (or projected grade if selected) that they might find interesting. Standard retraining eligibility and AFSC entry requirements will apply for all retraining applicants.
“To apply for NCORP, Airmen must be on their second or subsequent enlistment, be a staff sergeant (or staff sergeant-select) through master sergeant, and have a minimum 5-skill level in their control AFSC (or a 3-skill level for those AFSCs where a 5-level does not exist),” Reece said. “Additionally, staff sergeants must have fewer than 12 years, and technical and master sergeants no more than 16 years of active service as of Sept. 30.”
Retraining information is available and continuously updated on myPers. Members can click on “Retraining” from the active-duty enlisted landing page. A live chat feature is also available for Airmen on the “NCORP Phase I and II” webpage. To chat live with a Total Force Service Center representative, go to the page and allow roughly 30 to 60 seconds for a representative to come online.