Regional affairs program gets 54 new officers Published Feb. 14, 2017 By Kat Bailey Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- The Air Force has selected 54 line officers--51 captains and three majors--into the Regional Affairs Strategist program. The program, managed by the under secretary of the Air Force, international affairs, is a force development initiative intended to create a cadre of officers with in-depth regional expertise. “It presents these officers an opportunity to develop international insight, foreign language proficiency and cultural understanding,” said Lt. Col. Katie Tanner, the International Affairs Assignments chief at the Air Force Personnel Center. Selected officers, who have between seven and 10 years of commissioned service, serve in both their original primary career fields and the RAS career field by alternating assignments between the two. While in an RAS-centric assignment, they generally serve at a U.S. Embassy, either as part of the attaché service or as a security cooperation officer. RASs may also serve on the joint, Headquarters Air Force and combatant command staffs as regional experts. “Their in-depth international and regional experience and professional level language skills, combined with existing operational skills, maximize the Air Force’s ability to build partnerships with allied and coalition partners,” Tanner said. All 2017 RAS selects are advised to join an RAS program webinar Feb. 15 at 10:00 a.m., EST. The webinar, titled “RAS Orientation Meeting,” will be hosted on Defense Collaboration Services. Officers should update their Airman Development Plans to signal their interest in the program to their development teams. Candidate lists have posted to myPers. To view the list, select “Any” from the dropdown menu and search “Regional.” For more information about Air Force personnel programs, go to myPers. Individuals who do not have a myPers account can request one by following the instructions on the Air Force Retiree Services website.