Air Force still needs health professionals 10/7/2004 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The Air Force exceeded its enlisted recruiting goal by sending 34,362 people to basic military training in fiscal 2004, but the service was unsuccessful in finding enough physicians, dentists and nurses to meet its health professions goal. The Air Force had an enlisted recruiting goal of 34,080. During fiscal 2004 that ended Sept. 30, the service recruited 767 health professionals achieving 83 percent of its goal of 923. “I salute the efforts of our recruiters who are working hard to find America’s best and brightest for our all-volunteer force,” said Brig. Gen. Robertus C. N. Remkes, Air Force Recruiting Service commander. “We remain committed to recruiting a diverse, high-quality volunteer force that is representative of the country it serves. In accomplishing this, we must also stay focused on recruiting people in the right skills, at the right time and in the right numbers.” Besides doing well enlisting Airmen, the service also exceeded its goal commissioning officers into critical career fields including engineers, scientists and weather officers. With the start of the new fiscal year, General Remkes emphasized that America’s Air Force needs hundreds of doctors, nurses and pharmacists as well as people qualified for special operations, such as pararescuemen and combat controllers. Beginning with basic training and depending on their specialty, enlisted Airmen earn 12 to 72 accredited hours through their Air Force training, putting them on track to earn an associate’s degree in one of more than 60 fields of study from the Community College of the Air Force. CCAF is the largest community college in the world and is the only community college in the Department of Defense. “Although the Air Force offers numerous benefits, basic military training surveys continue to indicate the opportunity for further education as the top reason people join the Air Force,” General Remkes said.