. "3 Air Force Career Fields and Occupations That Currently Require a STEM Degree." Examination of the U.S. Air Force's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce Needs in the Future and Its Strategy to Meet Those Needs. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2010.
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Examination of the U.S.Air Force’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce Needs in the Future and its Strategy to Meet Those Needs
TABLE 3-2 Manning in STEM-Requiring and Acquisition Management Career Fields
Lt.
Capt.
Major
Lt. Col.
Col.
Total
15W
Assigns
129
187
119
96
16
547
Weather
Auths
94
229
141
75
15
554
%
137.2%
81.7%
84.4%
128.0%
106.7%
98.7%
32E
Assigns
326
339
216
199
61
1,141
Civil Eng,
Auths
123
510
231
196
66
1,126
%
265.0%
66.5%
93.5%
101.5%
92.4%
101.3%
33S
Assigns
686
1,109
656
391
110
2,952
Comm-info
Auths
177
1,206
819
460
117
2,779
%
387.6%
92.0%
80.1%
85.0%
94.0%
106.2%
61S
Assigns
260
249
155
82
9
755
Scientist
Auths
105
367
202
92
11
777
%
247.6%
67.8%
76.7%
89.1%
81.8%
97.2%
62E
Assigns
947
794
408
200
31
2,380
Dev. Eng.
Auths
427
1,177
532
257
37
2,430
%
221.8%
67.5%
76.7%
77.8%
83.8%
97.9%
63A
Assigns
275
670
542
539
106
2,132
Acq. Mgt.
Auths
206
759
725
647
149
2,486
%
133.5%
88.3%
74.8%
83.3%
71.1%
85.8%
SOURCE: Headquarters Air Force Personnel Center, Directorate of Assignments, January 2009.
requiring career fields is above the 96.1 percent total manning level for line officers. Assuming no change in authorizations, shortages of officers in these career fields could be corrected only by increasing overall officer strength in the Air Force or by imposing even greater shortages on other career fields.
Captain-to-Lieutenant Ratios
The ratio of assigned captains to lieutenants in the Air Force generally (see Table 3-1) is 2.1:1 (16,257 to 7,648) while the authorization ratio is 3.0:1 (17,899 to 5,948). Thus, the proportion of assigned captains (and therefore, of the more experienced level among company– grade officers) is less than desired by the authorization ratio. In the STEM-requiring career fields, as indicated in Table 3-3, the captain-to-lieutenant authorization ratios range from 2.4:1 to 6.8:1. Since these ratios, like those of most other career fields, are greater than the aggregate assigned strength ratio of 2.1:1, captain authorizations are very unlikely to be completely filled.
