Special duties require commander nomination Published July 16, 2013 By Debbie Gildea Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- The selection process for 10 special duty positions now requires unit commander nomination and hiring authority certification, Air Force Personnel Center officials said. The process change implemented this month affects staff sergeant, technical sergeant and master sergeant positions in special duties selected because of their unique leadership roles and the responsibility to mentor and mold young Airmen, said Chief Master Sgt. Charles Mills, the AFPC Airman assignments division superintendent. Enlisted developmental special duties deemed developmental because they represent the enlisted corps, and create, develop and care for our Airmen include: career assistance advisor, military training instructor, military training leader, U.S. Air Force Academy military training NCO, Airman and Family Readiness Center NCO, first sergeant, USAF Honor Guard NCO, enlisted accessions recruiter and professional military education Instructor. In addition, Air Force specialty training instructors identified with a "T" prefix will be developmental special duties. "The selected fields have direct, long-term impact on members' personal and professional lives and it is critical that they be fully-manned by top quality Airmen," Mills said. "Past and current volunteers have been outstanding, but this process will help ensure we continue to have top caliber men and women in these positions." To be considered for nomination, Airmen must be staff, technical or master sergeants with at least four years of service remaining before they reach their high year of tenure. Nominees must have exhibited excellence in their core career field with a skill level commensurate with their grade, and have an overall "5" on their last three enlisted performance reports. "As role models and mentors, nominees must maintain very high standards. For example, they must have an 80 or above on the last two fitness tests or a 90 or higher on the most recent test and cannot have a failure in any portion of the test," Mills said. In addition, beginning in October 2014, nominees who have not completed their Community College of the Air Force degree must be within 12 hours of completion. The nominative process is based on a minimum quota for each major command that will be levied every six months. Major commands are encouraged to exceed their minimum quota by nominating as many of their best Airmen for these developmental duties. Major commands will submit nominations to AFPC, but the nomination process begins at the unit level. "Squadron commanders are in the best position to know their Airmen's strengths, abilities and interests, so they will review the developmental duties and identify nominees appropriate for a developmental special duty," Mills said. "They will identify three developmental duties for each nominee." Wing commanders and command chiefs will review and validate squadron commander nominations, as well, before they are submitted to the major command. Once a nominee is certified and accepted by the hiring manager, he or she will get an assignment notification through the personnel assignment system and will have 45 days to complete and submit the special duty application. Airmen who are nominated for a developmental duty, but are not selected remain eligible for selection, in the event of future openings. Airmen need not wait for a developmental duty nomination to look for career broadening opportunities. There are non-developmental special duties listed in the special duty catalog. Airmen who meet eligibility criteria can still volunteer for one of those, Mills said. "This is a significant process change, and some Airmen may be uncomfortable with it," the chief explained." Keep in mind that a commander's nomination is a vote of confidence in your ability and character. Not all Airmen will be nominated, and not all nominees will be selected because this isn't just about filling empty positions. We are building future leaders committed to caring for Airmen and serving their nation." For more information about developmental duties and other career opportunities, visit the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil.