Officers needed for advanced degree, cross-flow opportunities Published Dec. 12, 2005 RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Qualified officers who apply by the Jan. 15 application deadline may compete for and earn a master's degree in the Program for Acquisition and Contracting Experience with follow-on cross-flow assignments. Eligible contracting and acquisitions officers must have between three and seven years of commissioned service and at least 24 months time on station by July 31, 2006 to apply. Officer selections to attend the program will be announced no later than Feb. 28. PACE provides contracting and acquisitions officers one of the earliest opportunities to begin building complementary skills through basic developmental education. Contracting officers may apply for a degree program in systems management, business administration or research and development management. Acquisitions officers may apply in strategic purchasing or contract management programs. Program selection is ultimately based on advanced academic degree quotas. Those chosen will attend school for 18 months at either the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., or the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Officers who complete the degree requirements will serve three-year, cross-flow assignments and return to their primary career fields. All officers must obtain documented release by their core assignments teams before submitting applications. Applicants must complete an electronic Air Force Form 3849, PME/AFIT/RTFB Officer Worksheet, have it signed by their senior rater or designee and e-mailed from the senior rater's organization box to afpc.dpasa@randolph.af.mil, the officer assignment team box at AFPC, by Jan. 15. More application information is available on the Air Force Personnel Center Web site at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/acquis/. For AFIT degree program information, check: http://en.afit.edu/academics.cfm; NPS degree information is available at www.nps.edu.