{"id":38285,"date":"2019-02-27T23:23:30","date_gmt":"2019-02-27T23:23:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/02\/27\/first-female-tacp-could-graduate-this-spring\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:11:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:11:03","slug":"first-female-tacp-could-graduate-this-spring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2019\/02\/27\/first-female-tacp-could-graduate-this-spring\/","title":{"rendered":"First female TACP could graduate this spring"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Air Force could see its first female airman graduate from tactical air control party training<\/a> this spring, the service\u2019s personnel chief told Congress Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But even if she does succeed, the Air Force doesn\u2019t expect many more women to follow her<\/a> into operational units anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services subcommittee on personnel, Lt. Gen. Brian Kelly, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said that 10 female airmen have entered into special warfare training after all combat jobs were opened to women<\/a> in December 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

None so far have qualified and graduated, Kelly said. But there is now one female airman in TACP training, he said, who could potentially graduate in spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly said the Air Force is fully committed to integrating women into combat positions, and has increased targeted marketing to attract female recruits. It has also placed female cadre instructors in those training units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historically, attrition rates for both men and women in special warfare career fields have ranged from 40 percent to 90 percent, depending on the field, Kelly said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFinding qualified volunteers for special warfare career fields, both males and females, continues to be challenging,\u201d Kelly said in his opening statement. \u201cThe training programs are demanding and require higher and broader levels of physical fitness to meet the demands of the occupationally specific, operationally relevant tests. \u2026 Consequently, we do not foresee large numbers of females in operational units in the near term.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kelly said the Air Force expects it is on track to meet its total recruiting goals. So far in fiscal 2019, the active duty has met 21 percent of its overall enlisted recruiting goal of 32,300. When recruits who have agreed to sign up and have been given projected dates to begin basic military training are factored in, the Air Force will be at 51 percent of its goal. Last year, the Air Force recruited 29,831 new enlisted airmen, slightly more than its goal of 29,450.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force Reserve is now at 35 percent of its combined officer and enlisted recruiting goal of 8,650, he said, and the Air National Guard is at 32.6 percent of its officer and enlisted recruiting goal of 10,378.<\/p>\n\n\n\t