Air Force Reserve Command says it reached its Fiscal 2007 recruiting goal when it topped 8,000 recruits on Aug. 28, more than a month before the end of the fiscal year. An AFRC release states that this is the seventh consecutive year that AFRC’s Recruiting Service has surpassed the command’s goals. Lt. Gen. John Bradley, AFRC commander, notes that next year will present a new challenge as the Reserve creates 7,000 new positions, most in new locations that sometimes center on “small markets.” The same good fortune has not shined upon the other Air Reserve Component. Recruiting for the Air National Guard has lagged for several months, but the Air Guard surpassed its monthly goals early in the fiscal year and has sustained strong retention numbers.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.