What's Ahead for the Air Force in 2017
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Military.com | Dec 29, 2016 | by Oriana Pawlyk
A new year, a new administration and new priorities. Here's what airmen need to know in the year ahead.
More Airmen, Squadron Boost
The U.S. Air Force will add 4,000 more airmen to its ranks next year under a compromise version of the defense authorization bill negotiated in December.
The move would boost the service's authorized end-strength for the active component to 321,000 airmen, according to a summary document on the negotiated fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.
The Air Force in September had about 311,000 airmen serving on active duty, according to Pentagon personnel statistics. The size of the service peaked in 2004 at nearly 377,000 airmen during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan before beginning a steady drawdown. Last year, the service was authorized to add more airmen for the first time in six years.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/12/29/whats-ahead-air-force-2017.html
