Find out more at afa.orgThe Air Force is promoting around 12,500 Senior Airmen to staff sergeant, roughly 20 percent fewer enlisted Airmen compared to last year’s massive total. In 2025, for comparison, the Air Force promoted 15,894 E-4s to staff sergeant out of 47,007 eligible, for a rate of 33.81 percent. The Air Force has not seen the number of eligible senior Airmen drop below 40,000 since 2020 when only 33,341 E-4s were eligible to move up to E-5. They must also complete a 24-day Airmen Leadership School, according to Air Force enlisted promotion guidelines. Changes in the pool of those eligible can indicate larger trends in Air Force retention, as more experience Airmen either leave or stay in the service.