Air Force officials to hold selective early retirement boards Published May 28, 2011 RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- As part of the FY11 Force Management programs announced in early February, Air Force officials are preparing for the selective early retirement boards for lieutenant colonels and colonels to further size and balance the force within congressionally authorized end-strength levels. The lieutenant colonel SERB is scheduled to convene Oct. 24, 2011, to consider eligible officers for early retirement. Lieutenant colonels selected for early retirement by the SERB must retire by March 1, 2012. Deployed lieutenant colonels selected for early retirement will return to their home stations by Jan. 1, 2012. This year's lieutenant colonel SERB affects active-duty lieutenant colonels in the line of the Air Force, chaplain corps and medical service corps competitive categories who have been at least twice deferred to colonel as of Oct. 23, 2011. Officers meeting the initial criteria who will be excluded from the SERB are: officers who are recommended for promotion (on a promotion list); have been approved for voluntary retirement; are not to be involuntarily retired under any provision of law during Fiscal 2012 or 2013; or were previously considered in the 2007 or 2010 SERBs. Beginning June 1, SERB-eligible lieutenant colonels may request voluntary retirement through Sept. 2, with an effective date no later than June 1, 2012. Officers approved for retirement before Oct. 14 will not meet the SERB. Approval of applications requiring active duty service commitment waivers is not guaranteed. Approval/disapproval determinations will be based on the best interests of the Air Force. In addition, if allowed to voluntarily retire with a waiver, recoupment of the unearned portions of bonuses, special pays and educational costs may be required. There are also specific requirements for eligibility and reimbursement related to the Montgomery GI Bill, Post-9/11 GI Bill and Transfer of Benefits. Since the retirement application and review timeline normally takes 4 to 6 weeks, officers requesting voluntary retirement should allow sufficient time. A colonel SERB is scheduled to convene Jan. 9, 2012. Colonels selected for early retirement by this board must retire by June 1, 2012. Further details pertaining to the colonel SERB will be released in the next few months. Transition assistance programs are available to all Airmen who are separating or retiring. For more information on transition assistance programs, Airmen may contact their Airman and Family Readiness Centers. For detailed information on the lieutenant colonel SERB, go to the Air Force personnel services website at https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil and do a keyword search for SERB or go to the FY11/12 Force Management programs section. First time users will need to create an account with a username and password. (Courtesy of Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs)