Officer RIF in Air Force - Something to consider

Gennaver, MSN · Jan 8, 2007

AF to Hold RIF if Goals Not Met
One of the many reasons I chose Army.

Hi there,

I am glad to be Army now too. I was hoping to go AF if the Army passed me over, (think it was due to my RN being an MS entry and the AF said not to worry as they would welcome that).

I wonder though, would the RIF really affect nurses?

Gen

allnurses Guide · Jan 8, 2007

Hi there,
I am glad to be Army now too. I was hoping to go AF if the Army passed me over, (think it was due to my RN being an MS entry and the AF said not to worry as they would welcome that).
I wonder though, would the RIF really affect nurses?
Gen

AirForce Nurse corps is not included in those cuts. I don't think any of the medical field are included. Although, the Army several years ago RIFed quite a few junior nurses...My last supervisor was one of them.

The Army is great choice, but I wouldn't worry about being RIFed as nurse from any of the branches at this time.

Gennaver, MSN · Jan 8, 2007

AirForce Nurse corps is not included in those cuts. I don't think any of the medical field are included. Although, the Army several years ago RIFed quite a few junior nurses...My last supervisor was one of them.
The Army is great choice, but I wouldn't worry about being RIFed as nurse from any of the branches at this time.

Hi,

That is a relief.

I am curious though about reduction in force of junior nurses. Does this mean that they reduce you before you have completed your year's in service as per your contract or if you are extended.

What makes me wonder is that if your previous supervisor was a junior nurse then she would have to have been in her initial contract right? Wouldn't that be less than 3 years, (or in my case it will be six years active)?

Still, I am relieved to know it isn't "likely" to happen to medical and nurses.

Gen

allnurses Guide · Jan 8, 2007

Hi,
That is a relief.
I am curious though about reduction in force of junior nurses. Does this mean that they reduce you before you have completed your year's in service as per your contract or if you are extended.
What makes me wonder is that if your previous supervisor was a junior nurse then she would have to have been in her initial contract right? Wouldn't that be less than 3 years, (or in my case it will be six years active)?
Still, I am relieved to know it isn't "likely" to happen to medical and nurses.
Gen

Usually in the USAF when we refer to "junior officers/nurses" it has nothing to do with time in service (almost half of the nurses are prior service) it refers to rank. In general someone that is a CGO (Lts & Capts) is considered a junior officer, atleast until they are within a couple of years of becoming a Major.

Most of the line officers that are being released are still on their initial commitment. As military officers we sign a contract initially, but after that when you are ready to get out of the military (honorably discharged) we resign our commission or retire if you have enough time in. You don't reenlist as an officer. There are things that cause you to incur more time i.e. tution assisstance, PSCing, formal schools etc.

I think the reduction in the Army Nurse Corps was back in the mid-to-late 90's a little before my time. I don't know the entire reasoning behind it, but I know the Army is still making up for those losses. The AirForce has filled some of spots for Army nurses d/t war demands.

Long story short.....I wouldn't worry about being displaced from the Army anytime soon, and in the unlikely event that it did happen you could always switch to another branch of the service.

Hopefully one of the Army Nurses can pipe in and tell you more about the reductions and the reasoning behind it.

I think you made a great choice in joining the Army. They have great training, and in a lot of ways are more progressive than the AirForce is right know. The only thing I really don't like about the Army is the length of deployments.

caliotter3 · Jan 8, 2007

I was at one time in the military and have had very limited contact with military types since then. Several yrs ago when the Army was slashing left and right, forward and backward, they were going through the Nurse Corps also. I had a conversation with an Army nurse I met at the time who told me that he had been warned when he began his military career, that he should not expect to be able to complete a 20 yr career. As a word of advice, whenever given a chance for advanced schooling, seminars, education programs, whatever, take these opportunities. Not only will you be helping your military career, you will be getting an advantage that civilian counterparts have trouble finding avail to them.