USAF downsizing

[plattsburgher]

Anybody hear anything about early retirements, buyouts, or other incentives for pilots?

 

[Andy]

The downsizing is not that significant. Voluntary programs will take care of most of it. Take a look at this link: http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/retsep/forceshaping/shape.htm

The force shaping board was only looking at involuntary separations from the CY02 & 03 year groups, and it did not include the 11x (pilot) AFSC.

This force shaping is significantly less than last year's force shaping efforts. They let my wife separate from active duty (an ICU registered nurse), and now they're begging to get her back on active duty. They've got a huge shortage of ICU nurses.

 

[bssthound]

Please let me be the one who steers this thread away from the original question:

I know one of the folks in the group who was found in court to have been unfairly RIF'd in the early '90s. He's been told he'll get his 20 yr retirement plus back pay. The back pay brings his earnings on par with what he would have made on Active Duty in that time frame. He's been assured he'll qualify for a AD retirement but doesn't yet know whether he'll have to go back onto AD. Does anyone here know of anyone in the same boat and if they know what the AF is going to do with them? By the way, I am NOT the person in question.

 

[TankerDriver]

The force shaping board was only looking at involuntary separations from the CY02 & 03 year groups, and it did not include the 11x (pilot) AFSC.

Even though they are not involuntarily separating pilots, they are still accepting voluntary separations through the Palace Chase program. I know quite a few LT's and CAPT's who've done it over the past 6 months.

 

[Andy]

Even though they are not involuntarily separating pilots, they are still accepting voluntary separations through the Palace Chase program. I know quite a few LT's and CAPT's who've done it over the past 6 months.

Yes, that's why I said the voluntary programs will take care of most of the force shaping. In another couple of years, the Air Force will be complaining about manning shortages. It never changes.

 

[Huggyu2]

The downsizing is not that significant. Voluntary programs will take care of most of it.

I'm not sure I agree. In my unit, we have a lot of passed over Majors that are being involuntarily booted out at 20 years (vice the 24 years allowed by Title 10). I don't know if we are an exception compared to the rest of the USAF, but it is significant here.
And, yes, they are all pilots (along with some navs, too).