US Air Force to promote roughly 12,500 staff sergeants in 2026, down 20% from last year

Published Aug 11, 01:11 AM UTC

The U.S. Air Force announced on August 10 that it is promoting approximately 12,500 Senior Airmen to staff sergeant (E-5), a roughly 20 percent decrease from the 15,894 promoted in 2025, which was the largest number since 2016. Out of 39,774 eligible candidates, 12,671 were selected, yielding a selection rate of 31.86 percent, down from 33.81 percent last year. The decline in promotions outpaced the drop in eligible candidates, which fell by 7,233 to below 40,000 for the first time since 2020. Despite the reduction, the total remains significantly higher than the record lows of 2022 and 2023, when fewer than 10,000 were promoted annually. Those low points were part of a deliberate Air Force effort to retain experienced midlevel enlisted personnel longer to improve grade distribution, a goal that has since been achieved. The article includes a historical table of staff sergeant promotion rates from 1996 to 2026, showing long-term trends in retention and force shaping.