MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Airmen gathered at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, March 13, 2026, for the inaugural Air Force Crossroads event, an initiative designed to connect service members with retraining opportunities and provide firsthand insight into Air Force career fields across the force.
The event brought together representatives from multiple Air Force specialty codes, allowing Airmen to speak directly with subject matter experts, development advisors and cross-trained service members about career field requirements, daily responsibilities and retraining eligibility.
Senior Airman Devar Hunt, an emergency action controller assigned to the 42d Air Base Wing Command Post and co-lead of the event, said the goal was to provide Airmen with the information they need to make informed decisions about their careers.
“The purpose of Air Force Crossroads is to give Airmen the opportunity to learn about different career fields and explore options that might better match their skills or interests,” Hunt said. “Sometimes Airmen start their careers in one job and later realize another field may be a better fit. This event gives them the information and connections to explore those possibilities.”
The event primarily targeted first-term Airmen approaching their retraining window, though service members at various stages of their careers attended to learn more about available opportunities across the force.
Attendees moved between informational booths hosted by Airmen and subject matter experts representing various career fields. Each booth provided details about training pipelines, eligibility requirements, daily responsibilities and potential career progression.
Hunt said speaking directly with Airmen currently working in those career fields helped attendees gain a more realistic understanding of what the jobs entail.
“Talking directly with someone in that career field gives Airmen a realistic understanding of what the job is actually like day-to-day,” Hunt said. “They can ask questions, hear personal experiences and learn about the challenges and rewards of the job in a way that’s difficult to get from reading about it online.”
Development advisors also supported the event by helping Airmen better understand the retraining process and eligibility requirements.
Master Sgt. Courtney Slater, Maxwell’s development advisor, said her role is to guide Airmen through the administrative and eligibility requirements involved in retraining.
“We serve as an information hub for Airmen considering retraining,” Slater said. “We help them understand how to review the retraining advisory, how to navigate MyFSS and determine whether they’re eligible based on their career timeline.”
Slater said many Airmen approach development advisors with specific career fields in mind, but the retraining process often begins with determining eligibility and reviewing available opportunities across the Air Force.
“A lot of Airmen come in asking how they can retrain into a particular job,” Slater said. “The first step is determining if they’re eligible and whether that career field currently has openings.”
The retraining program helps fill undermanned career fields while also allowing Airmen to pursue opportunities that may better align with their interests and skills.
“It’s a retention tool,” Slater said. “It allows Airmen who may want to pursue a different career path to remain in the Air Force while filling positions that need people.”
Slater emphasized the importance of researching potential career fields before making a retraining decision.
“I always tell Airmen that information is power,” Slater said. “Talk to people in the career field, learn about the good and the challenges and make sure you understand what the job is really like before making a decision that affects your career.”
For Hunt, creating a space where those conversations could happen was the driving force behind organizing the event.
“There are so many career fields in the Air Force that people may never hear about because they’re focused on their own mission every day,” Hunt said. “This event helps bridge that gap by bringing those communities together so Airmen can explore opportunities they might not otherwise know exist.”
Hunt said the success of the event ultimately came down to helping Airmen leave with a clearer understanding of their options.
“If I helped even one Airman make an informed decision on their potential future career path, to me, this event was a success,” Hunt said.
Organizers hope the inaugural event will serve as a foundation for similar initiatives in the future, helping Airmen better understand their career options while strengthening retention and readiness across the force.
“My hope is that Air Force Crossroads becomes something other installations can adopt,” Hunt said. “The more opportunities we give Airmen to make informed decisions about their careers, the stronger our force becomes.”