The Air Force on Wednesday launched its Fiscal 2012 Noncommissioned Officer Retraining Program to give about 900 second-term and career enlisted airmen the opportunity to shift from overage Air Force Specialty Codes to in-demand career fields that are short of personnel. Thirty AFSCs have been tapped for “retraining-out requirements,” meaning airmen in those fields can volunteer during the first phase of this initiative to change jobs. That’s an increase of five from Fiscal 2011, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials. Six specialties have “retraining-in restrictions,” which means that airmen in those fields are required to retrain in specific areas. Phase one runs through Aug. 6 for restricted fields and Sept. 16 for unrestricted ones. A second phase will immediately follow if there still is a need. (Randolph report by Jon Hanson)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.