WASHINGTON — Thousands of Air Force and Navy troops will be able to skip their final year of active-duty service with no penalty under new Pentagon plans intended to shed thousands from the payrolls.
Under the "force-shaping" plan, about 50,000 troops from both branches would be cut. A rapid buildup for the Iraq war and the war on terrorism left both services with a glut of personnel in certain positions. Also, a lack of private-sector jobs has made leaving active duty less attractive for soldiers.
To meet 2005 reduction goals, both branches are offering incentives to leave active duty as much as 12 months early. The Air Force hopes to cut 24,000 active duty airmen by September 2005. To get to that number, the service is waiving some duty requirements for both enlisted and officers.
"There's certain restrictions on certain career fields, but there are active duty commitments that are being waived," said Air Force spokeswoman Jennifer Stephens.
Although soldiers in some specialties are exempt from the offer, including pilots and nurses, even those in such high-demand fields would be able to leave early if they agree to enter the Air Force Reserve or Guard, Stephens said.
The Air Force and Navy cuts are in stark contrast to a stretched Army that notified thousands of retired soldiers they would be re-activated and possibly sent to Iraq.
The Army has received funding from Congress to add 30,000 troops in the next few years.
For those looking to leave the Air Force and Navy early, the Army has a message: Join us. The Navy is encouraging sailors who choose to leave to consider the Army. It's a program called "Operation Blue to Green."
"Operation Blue to Green allows service members to continue serving their country, to maintain the benefits of military service and to expand their horizons by gaining new training and trying new things," a Navy press release said.
To encourage departure, troops won't lose their Montgomery GI Bill benefits. For each month served, departing soldiers will get one month of education benefits, up to 36 months.
One catch: if members who have served less than two years active duty choose to leave, they will lose their benefits.