The Air Force rescinding promotions in the security forces career field after discovering an outdated answer key used on the Specialty Knowledge Test, officials said. The mistake led to 135 technical sergeant promotions being revoked while the Air Force rescored every eligible exam and moved to notify those affected.
The incorrect key touched 2,285 eligible airmen in the security forces pipeline. Air Force leaders said they acted quickly to verify the correct scoring key with subject matter experts, complete a full rescore and prepare a supplemental release to correct the record.
Air Force rescinding promotions: the error
Officials traced the problem to an outdated test answer key that was inadvertently used when scores were calculated for the Specialty Knowledge Test for security forces. That scoring error changed who met the board cutoff for technical sergeant selection and produced an initial list of selects that was later judged inaccurate.
In an emailed statement, the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC) said the error was identified by an enlisted promotions team member and that AFPC verified the correct key with subject matter experts before taking corrective steps. Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David R. Wolfe said, “We owe it to those affected to address it immediately. This is going to be hard for everyone impacted.”
Leaders emphasized the mistake was isolated to the security forces career field; they described it as human error during the scoring process rather than a broader systemic or technology failure.
How officials found and fixed the scoring
AFPC staff detected the discrepancy during post-release checks and escalated the issue for verification. The center worked with subject matter experts to confirm which answer key was correct and then rescored all affected exams to produce a corrected ranking.
AFPC said it implemented a full rescore of all 2,285 eligible security forces airmen. Officials also conducted an internal review of the review and release procedures to understand how an outdated key was selected and to determine what safeguards were missing or failed.
Leaders stressed the importance of transparency and accuracy in the merit-based promotion system. “We promote Airmen based on merit, which is established in federal law and policy,” Lt. Gen. Jefferson O’Donnell, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said. “Who we are as an Air Force, defined by our core values, demands integrity in the meritocratic promotion system.”
Who changed and by how much
The full rescore changed which airmen met the cutoff lines but did not change the overall promotion total. After rescoring:
- 2,285 security forces exams were rescored.
- 451 airmen who were initially selected retained their promotions.
- 135 airmen who had been selected no longer met the cutoff and had their selections revoked.
- Another 135 airmen who were initially not selected now meet the cutoff and will be promoted.
- The total number of promotions remains 586.
Officials said the adjusted line numbers will not change the dates when selectees are promoted; the supplemental list replaces the earlier list to reflect the corrected scores.
Leadership response and notifications
Air Force leaders acknowledged the emotional and professional impact of rescinding selections and pledged direct, timely communication to those affected. AFPC said leaders are notifying impacted airmen directly and have established a contact line to answer questions and explain adjusted line numbers.
Wolfe and O’Donnell both emphasized fairness and the need to maintain trust in the promotion system. “This is going to be hard for everyone impacted,” Wolfe said. Leaders pledged to offer counseling and support options and to ensure notifications are delivered with care and clarity.
AFPC also said it will document lessons learned from the incident, provide training updates for personnel involved in promotion processing, and review supervisory checks to reduce the risk of recurrence.
What comes next
AFPC plans to publish a supplemental promotion release during the week of July 13 to announce the 135 newly selected technical sergeants. The supplemental release is intended to set the official promotion list straight and inform airmen and commands of the corrected line numbers.
Officials laid out a short timeline of next steps: verification and reunification of records, formal supplemental release the week of July 13, direct notifications to selectees and those whose selections were revoked, and continued review of internal procedures. AFPC said the adjusted line numbers will not change promotion dates for those affected.
To prevent a repeat, the Air Force said it has tightened the review process for promotion releases. That includes additional verification steps with subject matter experts, strengthened checklist controls before publication, and enhanced supervisory review. Leaders reiterated the issue was human error and not related to artificial intelligence or automated scoring systems.
By the numbers
- Eligible exams rescored: 2,285
- Previously selected who kept promotion: 451
- Previously selected who lost promotion: 135
- Newly selected after rescore: 135
- Total promotions: 586
Quick Q & A
Why were promotions rescinded?
The rescindings followed discovery that an outdated test answer key was used on the Specialty Knowledge Test for the security forces career field. AFPC verified the correct key with subject matter experts and rescored every eligible exam.
Who will be promoted after the rescoring?
The Air Force said 135 airmen who were not initially selected will be newly selected and announced in a supplemental release during the week of July 13. Officials said adjusted line numbers do not change promotion timing.
What is the Air Force doing to prevent this in future cycles?
AFPC and Air Force leaders said they are tightening review steps, adding verification with subject matter experts before publication, strengthening supervisory checks and documenting lessons learned to avoid similar errors.
For further detail, AFPC’s public statement and comments from senior leaders outline the steps taken and the timeline for the supplemental release.
Source attribution
Reporting relied on an Air Force Personnel Center statement and comments from Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David R. Wolfe and Lt. Gen. Jefferson O’Donnell. The initial reporting on the rescinded promotions appeared in a Fox News story: Fox News — Air Force rescinding 135 promotions after test scoring error. The Air Force Personnel Center provided the official verification and timeline information referenced above.
