Air Force notifies force shaping lieutenants

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RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Today, 2,084 lieutenants in the 2002 and 2003 accession year groups will learn if they were selected for retention by the Force Shaping Board.

Each officer is being notified personally of their status by their senior rater. Officers deployed will be notified by either the deployed commander or their home station senior rater.

The Force Shaping Board, led by a two-star board president, was broken down into panels of five consisting of one brigadier general and four colonels on each panel. Panel members were selected from the career fields of the officers affected.

"The members of this board were charged by the secretary of the Air Force to perform the complex task of right-sizing our junior officer force by specialty," said Maj. Gen. Glenn Spears, director of force management policy, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, Headquarters U.S. Air Force.

"The board members were acutely aware of the magnitude of their role in serving on the first board thus institutionalizing the FSB process and ensuring the officer corps is balanced and sustainable," General Spears said.

Officers were evaluated for retention based on information in their central selection record. The record contained evaluation reports, decorations and the Retention Recommendation Form. 

Officers not selected for retention will be separated no later than Sept. 29 but are still eligible to apply for the Palace Chase or the Blue to Green programs.

"The Air Force values the selfless service and sacrifice of these officers who volunteered to serve," General Spears said. "We wish them all the best in their future endeavors. It is our hope they will choose to continue their service to our great nation."

Palace Chase applicants should first contact a local Guard or Reserve recruiter to secure a position and then their local military personnel flight for an application and assistance with filling out the forms. Officers interested in transferring to the Guard or Reserve may avoid a break in service provided they apply by Aug. 1.

Likewise, eligible officers interested in continuing their service in the Army must apply to the Blue to Green program by June 15 to ensure there is no impact on their service dates. Officers should contact their local military personnel flight and the U.S. Army Human Resources Command to begin the process.

Army human resources can be reached at www.hrc.army.mil/site/active/opdistacc/IST/CIST.HTM or via the Defense Switched Network at 221-3764 or commercial (703) 325-4471. Applicants must provide the Army a statement of qualification, a physical dated within one year, the officer's evaluation reports and copies of their college transcripts.

Those officers looking for opportunities to continue to serve as a civil service employee should visit the Office of Personnel Management Web site at www.usajobs.opm.gov for more information.

Officers not selected for retention will receive an information package explaining any entitlements they may be eligible for like separation pay and their transition benefits such as transitional healthcare coverage and permissive temporary duty. Officers should contact the appropriate base agency for more information regarding the benefits detailed in the package.

For the latest information on force shaping, visit http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/forceshape.

(Courtesy of Air Force Personnel Center News Service)