The Air Force’s Active Duty component slightly exceeded its recruiting goal for Fiscal 2014, while the service’s reserve components exceeded theirs to a greater degree, announced the Pentagon. This continues the string of strong recruiting years for the Air Force that goes back to Fiscal 2008. A total of 24,070 accessions came into the Active Duty component in the period from Oct. 1, 2013, to Sept. 30, 2014, two accessions more than the Air Force’s target, according to the Defense Department’s Nov. 10 release. The Air National Guard accepted 10,011 recruits in the fiscal year, 857 more than its accessions goal. The Air Force Reserve brought in 6,952 accessions, 2,077 above its fiscal year target. Across DOD, the Army’s, Marine Corps’, and Navy’s Active Duty components slightly exceeded their Fiscal 2014 goals, attracting 57,101, 26,018, and 33,765 recruits, respectively. Across the other services’ reserve components, only the Army National Guard and Army Reserve did meet their accessions targets for the fiscal year. (See also our coverage of the Air Force’s Fiscal 2013 recruiting 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.