The Air Force has admitted that a human error involving an outdated test answer key has compromised this year’s technical sergeant selection process. This mistake led officials to revoke 135 promotions, reallocating these positions to other troops who were rightfully entitled to them.
The incident impacted only the security forces career field of the service. After discovering the outdated scoring key was used for the Specialty Knowledge Test, officials rescored all 2,285 eligible airmen to rectify the situation.
“We owe it to those affected to address it immediately,” explained Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David R. Wolfe in a statement. He acknowledged the difficulty of the situation for all involved.
Upon completing the rescoring, the Air Force found that 451 airmen would retain their promotions, although 135 others no longer met the required cutoff score. Consequently, these positions will be offered to another 135 airmen who were initially overlooked in the original process.
Airmen watch as the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds soar over March Air Reserve Base in Riverside on April 21, 2023, in preparation for the Southern California Air Show. (MediaNews Group via Getty Images)
Air Force officials said the error was discovered after the promotion list was released and an enlisted promotions team member at the Air Force Personnel Center identified the outdated scoring key. Officials described the mistake as an isolated and unprecedented human error, adding that no other Air Force specialty codes were affected.
Ground crew tend to a U.S. Air Force C-130 military transport aircraft at RAF Fairford in Fairford, U.K., on March 17, 2026. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Officials said they verified the correct answer key with subject matter experts before rescoring every eligible exam. The total number of promotions did not change, remaining at 586.
“We promote Airmen based on merit, which is established in federal law and policy,” Lt. Gen. Jefferson O’Donnell, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said in a statement. “Who we are as an Air Force, defined by our core values, demands integrity in the meritocratic promotion system.”
A U.S. airman watches an Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft approach on July 14, 2011, at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. (Samuel King Jr./U.S. Air Force)
The Air Force Personnel Center plans to announce the 135 newly selected technical sergeants in a supplemental promotion release during the week of July 13. Officials said the new selectees will receive adjusted line numbers that will not affect when they are promoted.
The Air Force said it has tightened its review process and is examining how the error occurred to prevent a similar mistake in future promotion cycles. Leaders are notifying affected airmen directly and have set up a hotline to answer questions.
Officials said the mistake was caused by human error, not artificial intelligence.