Air Force Quietly Implements “Stop Loss” Provision to Fill Deployments

[KamaAina]

http://www.jqpublicblog.com/air-force-quietly-implements-stop-loss-provision-to-fill-deployments/

An email circulating among Air Force personnel channels is quietly putting human resource offices on notice of a new service policy that requires airmen to deploy beyond the duration of their service commitments. The new guidance instructs personnelists to deny retirement requests filed by airmen who have been selected to deploy, which basically enacts a back-door conscription policy just one year after the Air Force voluntarily slashed 19,000 airmen from its workforce.

The recent message attempts to explain changes to Air Force Instruction (AFI) 36-3203, which the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) relies upon to guide disposition of requests for retirement. The essence of the message is that airmen who are eligible to retire will not be permitted to do so in lieu of an extended deployment unless they gain approval before AFPC selects them to fill a deployed billet.

This is a dramatic change that has not been well-communicated to the field. I spoke with several commanders today at multiple levels, and none had heard about the shift, which they say could create the unintended consequence of encouraging airmen to retire as soon as they are eligible. This would, in turn, exacerbate manning issues that are already crippling many career fields....

This type of measure is ordinarily reserved for national emergencies that unforeseeably outstrip resources and create manning shortages that can only be remedied through extreme measures. The current Air Force manning shortage was not only foreseeable, but self-inflicted, which makes resort to Stop Loss under the circumstances look less like force management than force malpractice.

Stop loss was heavily used during Iraq. You've gotta wonder if Iran something else might be coming down the pike.

[Kotya]

1. I suspect it has more to do with giving walking papers to 19,000 Airmen.

Leaving critical billets undermanned.

All of the branches are undertaking "force shaping" measures (i.e. "downsizing&quot . Problem is, there's still scheduled deployments that need to be met.

[MH1]

7. Sounds like "bad management" could pretty much cover it.

I think attributing it to pre-planning for some upcoming event, would be giving TPTB too much credit.

[Kotya]

8. The General who cut loose 19,000 Airmen probably got a promotion.

It's the people under him who have to figure out how to do the same with less.

[MH1]

9. Yep, just like civilian companies. nt.

[1939]

10. NO

Congress establishes the strength of each of the services and the services must get down to that end strength by the end of the fiscal year. The services can beg and plead for more manpower, but congress has the say in what the end strength is. Generals don't get promoted by cutting people.

The Army went from 1.5 million during Vietnam to 780 thousand after. As we said then, "shot at and missed, shit at and hit."

[saturnsring]

2. one more reason people shouldnt enlist

[Kotya]

5. The military isn't a bad gig these days.

Once you move up in rank, the pay and allowances are pretty good. And there aren't too many jobs left these days that will give you and your family free health care.

[phantom power]

3. kick

[MrScorpio]

4. I'm one USAF Personnelist who's glad to have retired 10 years ago

This is one part of the job that I wouldn't want to deal with.

[lpbk2713]

6. Uncle Sam needs you.

... whether you like it or not.