What are the two phases of the NCO retraining program?

• A. Phase I: mandatory retraining; Phase II: voluntary retraining
• B. Phase I: reclassification by skill; Phase II: automatic retraining
• C. Phase I: obtain volunteer applicants from identified overage AFSCs to fill requirements in shortage specialty codes. Phase II: Airmen will be selected for mandatory retraining based on USAF needs to balance the force
• D. Phase I: identify shortage codes; Phase II: fill them with available volunteers

Answer: (C)

The NCO retraining program uses a two-phase approach to balance the force by moving airmen from overage or noncritical specialties into shortage areas, first through voluntary requests and then, if needed, through mandatory retraining.

In Phase I, the focus is on obtaining volunteers from identified overage AFSCs who are willing to retrain to fill requirements in shortage specialties. This lets Airmen take control of their career paths while helping address skill gaps where the Air Force needs people most.

If shortages still exist after that voluntary effort, Phase II kicks in. Airmen are then selected for mandatory retraining based on current USAF needs to balance the force, ensuring essential capabilities are staffed.

So, the best description reflects volunteering from overage specialties to fill shortages, followed by mandatory retraining driven by organizational needs. The other options either reverse the order, describe something unrelated to volunteer pools, or omit the mandatory balancing step.