The Air Force is looking for noncommissioned officers who want to retrain into high-demand specialties.

The Air Force Personnel Center on Nov. 2 released the fiscal year 2017 retraining quotas for eligible NCOs via the NCO retraining program.

Officials would not say how many NCOs they were seeking, saying the numbers change daily. They did say that cyber operations, paralegal, education and training, as well as some medical and civil engineering specialties, are the career fields that generally have the largest number of retraining-in opportunities.

Because the number of opportunities change daily, Air Force personnel officials ask airmen to visit the retraining advisory on the myPers Retraining page for the most recent numbers and information.

The NCO retraining program is a tool used to help balance and sustain the enlisted force as the Air Force continues to grow, according to information from AFPC.

"We continue to grow the force and are maximizing our accessions," Brig. Gen. Brian Kelly, director of military force management policy, said in a statement. "As a result, training seats are at a premium and most [Air Force Specialty Codes] are at or near max capacity."

The AFSCs that are identified as eligible for retraining-out are specialties where the Air Force has determined it can take some risk based on the current population's skill and grade. The AFSCs identified for retraining-in are areas where the Air Force needs additional personnel.

To help airmen who are interested in retraining, a new program called the Air Force Work Interest Navigator (AF-WIN) was introduced this year for NCOs. AF-WIN, which is available on myPers, helps airmen identify potential career fields by answering a series of questions about functional communities, job context and work activities.

To apply for the NCO retraining program, airmen must be on their second or subsequent enlistment, be a staff sergeant or staff sergeant-select through master sergeant, and have a minimum five skill level in their control AFSC, officials said. For AFSCs that don't have a five-level, airmen must have a three skill level.

In addition, staff sergeants must have fewer than 12 years of service, and technical and master sergeants no more than 16 years of active service as of Sept. 30.

Retraining information is available and continuously updated on myPers. Airmen can click on "Retraining" from the active-duty enlisted landing page. A live chat feature also is available.

Michelle Tan is the editor of Army Times and Air Force Times. She has covered the military for Military Times since 2005, and has embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Haiti, Gabon and the Horn of Africa.

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