I noticed this in Air Force news today....they were extending max years for enlisted, because of the manpower shortage.
What this this means? If you were a E-4/Senior Airman, you were now allowed to stay (without promotion) to 12 years.
E-5/Staff Sergeant? 22 years.
E-6/Tech Sergeant? 24 years.
E-7/Master Sergeant? 26 years.
E-8/Senior Master Sergeant? 28 years.
An awful long time to be just a SSgt? Yeah. In the early 1980s, I worked in a civil engineering squadron with a air conditioning SSgt who was up to 18 years. His IQ a problem? Yeah....he knew just enough about AC systems to get by.
The AF thinking this will help? They claim....2,000 folks are affected by the rule, with no idea if the folks will stay anyway.
Based on a few chats I've had in the past three years with enlisted guys....most had now a plan to exit the military upon 20 years. The woke-stuff, deployments, and amusing pronoun players....were enough to convince them to exit.