AF changes, removes info given to officer promotion boards

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. David A. Jablonski
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  Air Force officials are making changes to what information will be kept in selection briefs for officers facing promotion boards this year.

Starting with active-duty promotion boards through the rank of colonel in 2005, all self-initiated academic education information, including bachelor's degrees, will be removed from the officer selection brief, officer pre-selection brief and duty qualification history brief for line officers and the judge advocate general corps.

Academic education information for chaplains and health-profession officers will remain in applicable promotion documents.

The Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve will implement the same procedures beginning with boards convening after Jan. 1, 2006.

Additionally, in a change that applies to all officers regardless of promotion category, a deployment history block displaying the last six deployments in excess of 45 days since Sept. 11, 2001, will replace the overseas duty history block.

The assignment history section will still reflect overseas duty and information on officers sent to Air Force-sponsored developmental education. Training reports from these assignments will remain filed in the officer selection record.

"We are an expeditionary Air Force and capturing deployment history is more relevant than a listing of overseas assignments," said Lt. Gen. Roger A. Brady, deputy chief of staff for personnel. "Currently, deployment history is not readily captured on promotion documents. By highlighting this information to board members, they will not need to hunt through (officer promotion reports) or decorations to find it, he said.

The changes only affect promotion documents. Academic education will remain on other developmental team documents, such as assignment reports. Air Force policy prohibits senior raters from using these documents when preparing promotion recommendation forms.

"By changing the culture from one of 'forced' education for promotion to personal development, the officer and the Air Force will reap greater benefits," General Brady said. "As force development continues to evolve, we will incorporate additional initiatives to ensure every officer receives the education and training that best suits that person and Air Force needs.

"The Air Force wants its officers to focus on job performance -- people will be sent to obtain advanced degrees when they are required to do the job. This should relieve the pressure officers feel to obtain advanced degrees solely for the purpose of promotion," General Brady said.