24/7 personnel services are here

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jonathan D. Simmons
  • Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  The Air Force is changing in shape and size, and military personnel flights, or MPFs, are part of this change. Their transformation is called personnel services delivery.

Phase One of the transformation has seven groups of changes projected to be in place by December 2007.

Two recent changes allow Airmen to correct duty-history mistakes and apply electronically for retirement.

"The process is very user friendly," said Capt. Beth Hart, acting 12th Military Personnel Flight commander. "The Web-based personnel application is self-explanatory and easy to do. Also, there will always be someone you can call for help in your commander's support staff or the Air Force Contact Center."

For example, a retirement-eligible Airman would submit his or her retirement request to the contact center through Virtual MPF so that eligibility can be checked, said Air Force Personnel Center officials. Then the Airman can submit his or her final request through the vMPF, which then flows electronically to his or her commander before going back to the contact center for processing.

Once approved, the center will send the Airman an electronic draft DD Form 214 for review. A final DD Form 214 will be mailed.

Airmen are now responsible for correcting mistakes in their duty history through the vMPF. This process requires that Airmen either scan and attach or fax documentation for any requested change. Commanders' support staffs are only responsible for current duty information.

"There's been a lot of talk about the MPF going away," Captain Hart said. "That's not true. We're just becoming smaller and will be advisers to the many changes (with which) the personnel career field is faced."

Air Force personnel officials said MPFs perform about 37 processes. At the end of the Phase One timeline, they will perform only 19.

Key services that will still be available at the local MPF are testing, casualty assistance, passports, contingency exercises, leave accrual, and personnel support for contingency operations.

Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, commonly known as DEERS, and other Department of Defense stand-alone systems like ID cards will remain unchanged.

"Airmen will use the virtual MPF and their (commanders' support staffs) more in order to accomplish the new on-line applications instead of coming into the MPF," Captain Hart said.

Step-by-step instructions are available in the online PSD handbook at http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/psd. Support staffs will be trained to assist Airmen in using the new applications.

"For many personnel needs, you won't have to stand in line anymore," Captain Hart said. "The transformation will help us standardize processes, better use Air Force resources and eliminate unnecessary steps to complete personnel applications."

The purpose of the transformation is to improve access to accurate information and provide access 24 hours per day 7 days per week. PSD will also shorten the personnel process for Airmen and give them more direct control over career-affecting matters, according to an Air Staff briefing.

Although many Airmen are accustomed to visiting their personnel expert at the MPF counter, now they'll have a team of experts at the AF Contact Center 24 hours per day.

This PSD transformation is a key element in the Air Force's Smart Operations 21 vision of a leaner more efficient force.