A new squadron at Beale AFB, California, will handle the battle management data collected by manned aircraft, drones and other military systems. The percentage of master sergeants picked to advance is rebounding from its most recent low in 2021, when the E-8 selection rate fell below 7%. The Air Force’s E-7 will be modified to meet U.S. satellite communication, military GPS and cybersecurity and program protection requirements. The latest figure is 2.2 percentage points higher than last year’s selection rate, and 4.3 percentage points higher than the recent low of 18.2% in 2021. The first field-ready MH-139 is in final assembly, and is slated to be delivered in 2024. With the Air Force planning to retire the AWACS and replace the B-52's current engines, the contract could last for the remainder of the TF33's life. The jets have amassed more than 141,000 hours in combat since Operation Desert Storm in 1991. The Air Force chose 17.4% of eligible senior airmen for promotion to staff sergeant, down from last year’s selection rate of 21.1%. With the clock ticking on retiring the Air Force's aging E-3 Sentry fleet, every second counts on building the E-7s that will replace them. Plummeting NCO promotion rates are a ripple effect of the Air Force’s effort to grow its early career enlisted workforce. Load More