CommunityEditor
01-26-2009, 08:38 PM
The Air Force’s shortage of recruiters and basic military training instructors is likely to continue for at least the rest of this fiscal year, the service’s top training officer said Monday.
The Air Force is working to fill the shortage of about 200 military training instructors and 500 recruiters, but probably won’t be able to fill all the slots this year, said Gen. Stephen Lorenz, commander of Air Education and Training Command.
“What I think will happen ... is that between now and the end of the year we will get more military training instructors and recruiters in the system,” Lorenz said. “But will we get to the exact number that we need by the end of the year? [There’s] a high probability that won’t happen.”
The Air Force is increasing its enlisted accessions in fiscal 2009 by 4,180, to 31,980. That is a 15 percent increase compared to the previous goal of 27,500 new airmen.
The increased recruiting goal is the result of the early termination of the Air Force’s personnel drawdown. The original plan called for the Air Force to shrink to 316,500 active-duty airmen by the end of fiscal 2009, but Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz has since said the service will grow to 332,700 airmen by the end of fiscal 2010. The Air Force had 324,633 airmen as of Dec. 30.
The new accessions and end-strength goals require more recruiters and military training instructors.
Basic military training is authorized 566 instructors, according to AETC, but only 349 were assigned as of December. That means BMT is only 62 percent manned with instructors.
Lorenz said AETC is advertising for more recruiters and BMT instructors.
“The bodies are now in the [budget], but they just don’t magically appear,” he said. “It takes time.”
Despite the manpower shortfalls, Lorenz said recruiting numbers are on target and new recruits are getting trained.
“We will accomplish the goals and objectives,” he said. “Eventually we’ll get manned the way we should be. This is the way you have to do it when you go from downsizing ... to upsizing in one year.”
Article: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/01/airforce_instructor_shortage_012609/
The Air Force is working to fill the shortage of about 200 military training instructors and 500 recruiters, but probably won’t be able to fill all the slots this year, said Gen. Stephen Lorenz, commander of Air Education and Training Command.
“What I think will happen ... is that between now and the end of the year we will get more military training instructors and recruiters in the system,” Lorenz said. “But will we get to the exact number that we need by the end of the year? [There’s] a high probability that won’t happen.”
The Air Force is increasing its enlisted accessions in fiscal 2009 by 4,180, to 31,980. That is a 15 percent increase compared to the previous goal of 27,500 new airmen.
The increased recruiting goal is the result of the early termination of the Air Force’s personnel drawdown. The original plan called for the Air Force to shrink to 316,500 active-duty airmen by the end of fiscal 2009, but Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz has since said the service will grow to 332,700 airmen by the end of fiscal 2010. The Air Force had 324,633 airmen as of Dec. 30.
The new accessions and end-strength goals require more recruiters and military training instructors.
Basic military training is authorized 566 instructors, according to AETC, but only 349 were assigned as of December. That means BMT is only 62 percent manned with instructors.
Lorenz said AETC is advertising for more recruiters and BMT instructors.
“The bodies are now in the [budget], but they just don’t magically appear,” he said. “It takes time.”
Despite the manpower shortfalls, Lorenz said recruiting numbers are on target and new recruits are getting trained.
“We will accomplish the goals and objectives,” he said. “Eventually we’ll get manned the way we should be. This is the way you have to do it when you go from downsizing ... to upsizing in one year.”
Article: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/01/airforce_instructor_shortage_012609/