Lieutenant colonels, colonels eligible for time-in-grade waiver

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. David A. Jablonski
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  Air Force officials are again offering lieutenant colonels and colonels a reduction of the time-in-grade requirement for retirement.

Reduction of the three-year time-in-grade requirement for those officers to retire in their current grade dropped to no less than two years.

Secretary of the Air Force Dr. James G. Roche authorized personnel officials May 6 to reduce the time restriction. That offer reopened Aug. 12 for fiscal 2005.

“We remain focused on solving our end-strength problem through voluntary programs,” said Maj. John Silverman, chief of Air Force retirement and separation policy.

“The recent law change allowing officers to retire with a minimum of two years time in grade is reflective of that effort and was another tool in our kit for which we wanted to take advantage,” Major Silverman said. “Although relatively small, this program helps us toward meeting our mandated Air Force ends strength. As part of the force shaping, we also opened a similar opportunity for our retirement eligible senior noncommissioned officers, waving up to 18 months of their obligated service commitment for putting on a new stripe.”

Retiring officers must meet the following criteria:

-- Must be a lieutenant colonel or colonel on active duty with at least two years and less than three years time in grade on the requested retirement date to retire under this authority.

-- Must have served at least 20 years of total active federal military service and 10 years commissioned service by the requested retirement date to be eligible to request a reduced time-in-grade retirement.

-- Must have served satisfactorily in grade.

-- All Air Force specialty codes may apply.

-- Deployed people may apply; however, the requested retirement date must be at least 30 days following their return to home station. Member must retire not later than Sept. 1, 2005. Deployment periods will not be curtailed.

-- Waivers of active-duty service commitments will be given according to the limited active-duty service-commitment waiver program.

Officers under investigation for alleged misconduct, pending the disposition of an adverse personnel action for alleged misconduct, or recalled to active duty, are ineligible for the waiver.

The number of people permitted to retire with the reduced time in grade is limited to no more than 2 percent of the total number of people on active duty in that grade during each fiscal year.

The Air Force is projected to have 10,460 lieutenant colonels and 3,640 colonels on active duty Oct. 1. Two percent of these totals equate to a maximum of 212 lieutenant colonels and 72 colonels who may retire with the reduced time in grade in fiscal 2005.

“We are presently taking applications for retirement dates through Sept. 1, 2005, and expect a higher application acceptance rate over last year’s fiscal program, especially since our officers have more time to plan for retirement,” Major Silverman said.

“As soon as we meet the two percent ceiling, the program will close,” he said.

Officers interested in this program can contact their servicing military personnel flight, or visit www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/retsep/shape2.htm.