Air Force seeks applicants for IAS program

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RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Air Force officials are looking to develop a cadre of Air Force officers with international insight, foreign language proficiency and cultural understanding to work in today's security and expeditionary operations environment.

The Air Force will select officers at the midcareer point, normally seven to 12 years, and deliberately develop them and use them in demanding international/political-military assignments as international affairs specialists.

"The IAS program is a tremendous developmental opportunity for Airmen desiring challenging and rewarding assignments in the international or political-military environment," said Maj. Frank Swekosky, the IAS assignments officer at the Air Force Personnel Center here.

Officers will be nominated by their development team for an IAS secondary career path and receive formal training and education with follow-on assignments on one of two development paths.

Path 1, the political-military affairs strategist, offers a well-managed career broadening opportunity to gain international experience. Path 2, the regional affairs strategist, places officers on a more demanding developmental opportunity with multiple IAS assignments. Officers on this path will develop into regional experts with professional language skills.

Regional affairs assignments generally will alternate with primary specialty code assignments and ideally complement primary specialty career development.

Officers interested in applying for this program can submit a Transition-Officer Development Plan through their reviewer to their specialty code assignments and functional development team by Aug. 31 expressing a desire for regional affairs development.

Officers interested in RAS consideration must take the Defense Language Aptitude Battery. To do this, they can contact testing officials at their military personnel flights.

The first selection process for regional affairs development will begin in September. Selected officers will begin training in spring or summer of 2006.

"Senior Defense Department and Air Force leaders need Airmen with international insight, foreign language proficiency and cultural understanding -- all crucial force multipliers that will significantly increase the effectiveness of air and space power," Major Swekosky said.

For more information on the IAS program, log onto the IAS Web site on the Air Force Portal at www.my.af.mil/iaw. For more qualifications or eligibility information, officers can contact their appropriate assignments/development team or the IAS assignments team at the personnel center at DSN 665-4071 or (210) 565-4071. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service)