FEBRUARY 8, 2024 – The Secretary of the Air Force has reimplemented the Voluntary Retired Return to Active Duty Program in an effort to leverage the talents of our highly trained and experienced officer and enlisted military retirees to help minimize the service’s critical manning shortages. Application window opens Feb. 8, 2024.
Applications must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2026, and the program allows up to 1,000 retired officer or enlisted personnel to active duty at any given time. Additionally, under this VRRAD program, the period of active duty service is limited to no more than 48 months. Personnel will only fill vacant active duty authorizations. Retired applicants selected for Extended Active Duty can expect to return to active duty anywhere from 4 to 6 months from their date of application.
“The VRRAD program is a strategic enabler to embrace experienced talent, tapping into a valuable resource of retired members to fill critical roles to close the gap against our peer competitors,” said Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services.
Retired officer applicants are limited to Line of the Air Force commissioned officers retired in the grade of captain through lieutenant colonel. Officers who volunteer to return to active duty under the VRRAD program will primarily fill vacant rated staff, active flying staff, Officer Training School, Squadron Officer School, and Jeanne M. Holm Center academic staff. While all members that meet eligibility may apply, we are targeting the following Air Force special duty codes:
- 11X – Pilot
- 12X – Combat Systems
- 13B – Air Battle Manager
- 13H – Aerospace Physiologist
- 13M – Airfield Operations
- 13N – Nuclear and Missile Operations
- 14X – Information Operations/Intelligence
- 15X – Operations Analysis and Weather
- 16X – Operations Support
- 17X – Cyber Operations
- 18X – Remotely Piloted Aircraft
- 19Z – Special Warfare
- 21X – Logistics
- 31P – Security Forces
- 32E – Civil Engineering
- 35P – Public Affairs
- 38F – Force Support Officer
- 61X – Scientific/Research
- 62X – Developmental Engineering
- 63X – Acquisition
- 64P – Contracting
- 65X – Finance
- 71S – Special Investigation
Retired enlisted applicants are limited to members retired in the grade of staff sergeant through senior master sergeant. While all members that meet eligibility may apply, the following AFSCs are being targeted:
- 1C171 – Air Traffic Control
- 2G071 – Logistics Plans
- 2T377 – Fleet Management & Analysis
- 3F071 – Personnel
- 3P071 – Security Forces
- 4A271 – Biomedical Equipment
- 4E071 – Public Health
- 4N071 – Aerospace Medical Service
- 4R071 – Diagnostic Imaging
- 7S071 – Special Investigations
- 8R000/8R200 – Recruiter(s)
Information about the Voluntary Retired Return to Active Duty Program, to include detailed official program guidance, eligibility criteria and application requirements, can be found here.
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs