2008 force shaping board cancelled Published Jan. 30, 2008 RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Air Force lieutenants in the 2005 year group, a total of 764 eligible, will not face the Force Shaping Board here as the Secretary of the Air Force directed cancellation of the board Jan. 25. "We received enough requests to separate through the voluntary separations programs that conducting a force shaping board is no longer needed," said Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, III, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, Headquarters United States Air Force. The Air Force Personnel Center has processed 58 voluntary separation packages for Force Shaping Board eligible officers. Those separations combined with other force reduction programs are expected to meet the Air Force's projected end-strength goal of 328,600. All previous restrictions for board eligible officers regarding deployment and temporary duty assignments are lifted. "We will continue to monitor our end-strength goals to ensure a balanced force and we may elect to use force shaping boards in the future if we need to, but our other programs are meeting our goals for this fiscal year," said Lt. Gen. Newton. The March board would have considered active-duty, line officers in overage career fields. Those eligible members may still apply for the limited active duty service commitment or the voluntary separation pay program provided they meet all the provisions in the fiscal year 2008 message. Lieutenants that submitted a separation application but have not received an approved date of separation may withdraw their request for separation. For those members with an approved separation date who were eligible for the Force Shaping Board, mission justification and wing commander approval are required for application withdrawal. All applications will be reviewed by AFPC on a case-by-case basis. For more information, contact the Air Force Contact Center at (800) 616-3775.