What are the reflections of retired Airmen on their experience with the Enlisted Promotion System while they were on active duty?

Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this descriptive case study is to understand how retired Airmen reflect on their experience with the EPS and how that experience reflected their leadership skills accurately. For the USAF to continue to be innovative and have the backing of the United States, a willingness to serve and support and defend the country must be present. This also means the organization, the USAF, need people to enlist and not separate from duty.
Maintaining the force of people in the USAF is another benefit to addressing the problem at hand and initiating change. Jackson (2019) noted after a survey and research study of United States military personnel was conducted, a few factors that members of the Armed Forces relied on to decide to re-enlist or separate included that of financial incentives such as promotion and leadership (pg 5). Without the backing of the people, there is no military and with promotion being at the top of the priority for Airmen to decide to reenlist, this only justifies clearer the need for the promotion system to change and for leadership at the top to take immediate action in implementing change within the promotion system.
Population and Sample
Four select groups of retired enlisted Airmen will be asked to participate in the study. Data collection will take place with in-depth interviews, utilizing discovery type and exploratory-style interview method and qualitative Coding method will be utilized using field notes, data analysis, and interpretation notes. Considering the knowledge of Thomas (2013) and given that the Military system is not a system that can be easily manipulated for experimental purposes; a non-experimental research design will be applied, more specifically; a comparative research that will compare retired Air Force members that reflect positively on the EPS and those retired Air Force members that have different reflections

Significance of the Study
The results may show the lasting effects on immediate actions and resolutions to a needed change which are both influential to the people within the organization. For the USAF to continue to be innovative and have the backing of the United States, a willingness to serve and support and defend the country must be present. This also means that the organization, the USAF, needs people to enlist and not separate from duty. Maintaining the force of people in the USAF is another benefit to addressing the problem at hand and initiating change. Placing leadership capabilities in alignment with promotion could result in a positive change for the Air Force and its most deserving Airmen.
Nature of the Study
The Air Force promotion system study will require a qualitative, descriptive case study research, which will analyze how enlisted Airmen reflect on their experience with the EPS and how that experience reflected their leadership skills accurately. The comparisons of different groups of people in the promotion system will be studied for different reactions among other variables. By choosing the qualitative method, it should be easier to formulate new research questions if need be as well as have a clearer understanding as to why things happen. Taking into account of the knowledge of Thomas (2013) and given that the Military system is not a system that can be easily manipulated for experimental purposes; a non- experimental research design will be applied, more specifically; a comparative research that will compare retired Air Force members that reflect positively on the EPS and those retired Air Force members that have different reflections

Research Questions
R1: What are the reflections of retired Airmen on their experience with the Enlisted Promotion System while they were on active duty?
R2: How do retired Airmen perceive their leadership competency skills as it relates to the
Enlisted Promotion System?