# News

## U.S. Air Force LogoUnited States Air Force

# Retired officers, enlisted members can rejoin active duty to offset personnel shortfalls

              - Published  Feb. 7, 2024
              - Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

**ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) --  **
The Secretary of the Air Force has reimplemented the Voluntary Retired Return to Active Duty Program in an effort to leverage the talents of our highly trained and experienced officer and enlisted military retirees to help minimize the service's critical manning shortages. Application window opens Feb. 8, 2024.Applications must be submitted by Jan. 31, 2026, and the program allows up to 1,000 retired officer or enlisted personnel to active duty at any given time. Additionally, under this VRRAD program, the period of active duty service is limited to no more than 48 months. Personnel will only fill vacant active duty authorizations. Retired applicants selected for Extended Active Duty can expect to return to active duty anywhere from 4 to 6 months from their date of application.“The VRRAD program is a strategic enabler to embrace experienced talent, tapping into a valuable resource of retired members to fill critical roles to close the gap against our peer competitors,” said Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services.Retired officer applicants are limited to Line of the Air Force commissioned officers retired in the grade of captain through lieutenant colonel. Officers who volunteer to return to active duty under the VRRAD program will primarily fill vacant rated staff, active flying staff, Officer Training School, Squadron Officer School, and Jeanne M. Holm Center academic staff. While all members that meet eligibility may apply, we are targeting the following Air Force special duty codes:            11X – Pilot12X – Combat Systems13B – Air Battle Manager13H – Aerospace Physiologist13M – Airfield Operations13N – Nuclear and Missile Operations14X – Information Operations/Intelligence15X – Operations Analysis and Weather16X – Operations Support17X – Cyber Operations18X – Remotely Piloted Aircraft19Z – Special Warfare            21X – Logistics31P – Security Forces32E – Civil Engineering35P – Public Affairs38F – Force Support Officer61X – Scientific/Research62X –Developmental Engineering63X – Acquisition64P – Contracting65X – Finance71S – Special Investigation        Retired enlisted applicants are limited to members retired in the grade of staff sergeant through senior master sergeant. While all members that meet eligibility may apply, the following AFSCs are being targeted:1C171 – Air Traffic Control2G071 – Logistics Plans2T377 – Fleet Management & Analysis3F071 – Personnel3P071 – Security Forces4A271 – Biomedical Equipment4E071 – Public Health4N071 – Aerospace Medical Service4R071 – Diagnostic Imaging7S071 – Special Investigations8R000/8R200 – Recruiter(s)Information about the Voluntary Retired Return to Active Duty Program, to include detailed official program guidance, eligibility criteria and application requirements, can be found **here**.

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