The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies is pleased to release its latest Policy Paper, Aim Higher: It’s Time to Boost The Air Force’s Recruiting Enterprise, by Michael C. Sirak, Mitchell Institute visiting fellow.
The document takes a look at an under examined and critical part of the all-volunteer Air Force—recruitment activities. The Air Force’s recruiting force is the smallest when compared to the other services within the Department of Defense and challenges are straining the force. In addition to funding shortages and innovation stifling bureaucracy, recruiters have limited access to new technologies which could help the service bring in thousands of additional needed accessions for the USAF’s ongoing manpower demands. This is especially true when examining the manpower goals the service is aiming for to grow key mission areas like space operations, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and fighter aviation. According to Maj Gen Garrett Harencak, commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service “Never in the history of our Air Force have so few Air Force recruiters been asked to bring so many people in.”