Expert: Howard Lorenz - 4/15/2008

Question
Mr. Lorenz,
I would first like to say thank you for volunteering your time to answer these questions.

My question is about prior service enlistments, which I know you answer all the time, however this is more specific to some reading I've been doing.  I've read that the Air Force has recently asked Congress for more money to increase end strength beginning in FY 2009, while at the same time bringing a stop to the downsizing as early as this summer.  Would you happen to know when Congress makes decisions on the Defense budget, and do you think if they approve the extra money to increase AF end strength, would that open the door for prior service enslistments?  I'd like to hear your opinion, considering (from what i've heard), this isn't the first time the AF has cut itself too thin and then built itself back up, so I'm sure it's not the first time you've seen this happen.

Thanks again.

Answer
Its hard to say really. The overseers of the Air Force manower offices will have to determine where ecactaly they are short. They are doing alot of forced crosstraining from careerfields that are to heavy in those who are light. If congress approves this bill, then they will increase by increasing recruitment levels into careefields that are short first. They seem to only open the PS door when they ahve to have those folks like yesterday. The best advise that I can give you is to check with USAF recruiting service regularly to see when the door gets opened. And another tip.... contact several different recruiters from different districts or states...The reason is that when you have more ears listening for you , one might actually hear what you are saying...

HW