Changes coming to officer board documents

  • Published
  • By MSgt. Timm Huffman
  • HQ RIO Public Affairs
BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  Changes are coming to the advanced academic degree and developmental education information visible on officer selection briefs for promotion boards.
Beginning Dec. 1, advanced academic degree information for line officers will be masked for promotion selection boards below the grade of colonel.

Another change will limit the visibility of how and when developmental education was completed. The new officer selection briefs will show the course and that it is complete.  It will not display when a course was completed or whether it was completed by correspondence or in-residence.

These changes affect both active duty and Reserve members and the first Reserve board impacted will be the February 2015 Air Force Reserve Line and Non-line Major Promotion Selection Boards.

Non-line officers, such as chaplains and those in the medical and nurses corps, are unaffected by the changes to the advanced academic degree information, as they fall under the April 12, 2006, memorandum from the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff of the Air Force requiring that data on the highest two degrees be visible to promotion boards for these individuals. However, the changes to developmental education do apply.

Lt Col. Amy J. Boehle, acting director, promotion board secretariat, Headquarters Air Reserve Personnel Center, said that six months prior to every board, ARPC forwards a member's OPB to their servicing military personnel section, which in turn provides it to the member for review. Officers who are eligible for the upcoming Air Force Reserve major's board have received OPB documents reflecting these changes.

The changes to the academic degree and developmental education expectations are designed to restore Airmen's time and refocus officer promotions on job performance. The Air Force identified that unnecessary demands were being placed on Airmen as they pursued time-consuming education simply to fill perceived check boxes for promotion.

"Our intention is to set clear expectations and ensure that, where possible, we give time back to our officers," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh. "Since job performance is the most important factor when evaluating an officer for promotion, the decision to delay the completion of an advanced academic degree will not affect their ability to serve a full career in the Air Force."

Officers with questions regarding these changes should contact the Total Force Service Center at 210-565-0102, press option 3 and follow the prompt.