However, the majority of the decline was due to a force structure with too many airmen in higher grades, Barger said. Removing points for seniority alone, Air Force officials at the time said they wanted “to ensure performance carries the most weight when calculating points for promotion selection.” Under the previous system, NCOs received promotion points simply for staying in the service longer than their peers. Record-high retention levels amid the pandemic and lowered end-strength growth projections led to a realignment of the service’s enlisted grade structure, the statement said. Other ranks are projected to see smaller fluctuations, and the most senior enlisted ranks, senior and chief master sergeant, are forecast to stay at less than 3% of the enlisted force combined.
Under the new model, the percentage of members at the E-4 senior airman rank is expected to grow from the current 19% to 24% of all enlisted members. The change would create fewer promotion opportunities into the Air Force’s first NCO rank and keep many promotion-eligible service members in the junior airmen tiers longer. The Air Force did not publicly release details on the revised force structure, but a post on the popular Amn/NCO/SNCO Facebook community page showed what appeared to be undated PowerPoint slides outlining projected strength allocations by rank.Īccording to the target projections in the slides, the service aims to reduce the number of airmen holding the rank of staff sergeant, which now stands at 27% of the total enlisted force, to 22% of the enlisted corps in 2023.
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