Funds to keep up SRB program requested

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Staff Sgt. Robert Sims, 376th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, inspects a KC-135 Stratotanker power panel in the cockpit during a routine maintenance check.


Funds to keep up SRB program requested
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Mar 5, 2009 10:10:23 EST

The Air Force wants to continue offering bigger selective re-enlistment bonuses in fiscal 2010 so it can keep airmen with skills critical to the service such as medical officers and enlisted maintainers.

Details of the 2010 SRB program have not been released, but the Air Force’s 2010 budget asks for continued funds to boost retention and properly balance the rank and skill levels of the force, said spokesman Capt. Mike Andrews.

The service dramatically expanded its SRB program for fiscal 2009, offering $136 million in bonuses to airmen in 88 career fields. More than 4,300 airmen, nearly half of the Air Force’s retention goal of 9,800, had taken the bonuses as of Feb. 6, according personnel figures.

“We tend be more retention-based due to the technical nature and long training times of many of our specialties,” Andrews said. “While we are experiencing acceptable retention right now, we are focused on properly shaping our future force of 332,000.”

The Air Force has about 324,500 active-duty airmen but wants an active-duty end strength of 332,700 by the end of fiscal 2010. While greater retention overall will be key to reaching the new goal, the service is making a concerted effort to keep airmen who signed up in 2005 because it intentionally under-recruited that year.


Rest of article at: http://airforcetimes.com/news/2009/03/airforce_retention_bonuses_030509w/%2e