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WOTN learn valuable personnel info

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachel Martinez
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Approximately 100 Airmen from Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., attended the Air Force Personnel Center's Spread the Word tour Sept. 30. 

The tour included a wide variety of briefings about the Air Expeditionary Force and personnel operations, assignments, civilian personnel and personnel services. 

"Every Airmen needs to be their own personalist," said Maj. Brian Lewis, 319th Force Support Squadron commander. "There is a good deal out there happening for you." 

Maj. David Boles gave the first of four briefings concerning the AEF and personnel operations. Major Boles started by reviewing the old AEF cycle, the challenges and limitations associated with it. Major Boles briefed that one of the most predominate challenges concerning the old AEF cycle was that 50 percent of Airmen were deploying out of their cycle. With the new cycle Airmen are now assigned to tempo bands A through E. Each band has an assigned deployment to dwell ratio, enabling for more predictability and stability for the total force. 

Major Boles also briefed on the new Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment System. The AFPAAS is a Department of Defense program used to identify total force members in an area of concern. The AFPAAS can track dependents and members by their Social Security Numbers and allows for faster accountability. 

Maj. Beau Neal and Tech. Sgt. Jeffery Brown tag teamed the officer and enlisted assignments briefing. Their briefing covered assignments, indeterminate temporarily deployments, the Air Force's new Global Strike Command, post-birth and paternity leave.
Major Neal informed the officers in the crowd that assignments for officers are based off of Officer Professional Development Driven and Airman Development Plan. Sergeant Brown stressed to the Airmen assignments are fair, equal, geography driven and are prioritized by MAJCOM. 

Indeterminate temporarily deployments are better known as 365 deployments. They are considered to be both a permanent change of station and a deployment because it shares aspects of both. To volunteer for this deployment or for more information click here. Sergeant Brown also stressed that Airmen talk to their supervisors first before volunteering for this deployment. 

According to Major Neal, the Global Strike Command is expected to go active next December. Under the new command, three missile wings will align under the 20th Air Force and three bomb wings will align under the 8th Air Force. 

Sergeant Brown explained the new changes to the post-birth/adoption deferment. The deferment has extended from four months to six months. Also, any married male servicemember is now authorized to take 10 days of uncharged leave within a year of his new child being born. 

Jim Hale addressed the audience about the new changes within civilian personnel. So far, the civilian personnel department has been reorganized from being separated by career field into one organization. Also, Mr. Hale briefed on the amount of time it takes to fill a position. Currently, it takes 140 days Air Force wide to fill a civilian position from beginning to end. The new goal is to fulfill the position within 120 days. On average it takes Grand Forks AFB only 123 days to fill a civilian position. 

Senior Master Sgt. Carianne Melnick briefed the Airmen on personnel services. A main part to the services briefing are the uniform changes. Sergeant Melnick informed the crowd of the new changes to the physical training uniform. The new uniform will includes longer shorts with deeper pockets, a quieter sweat suit and a long sleeve option. Other upcoming uniform changes that are in testing right now are light-weight cotton Airman Battle Uniform blouses and stain resistant combat boots. 

Sergeant Melnick also explained the AFPC service center. The AFPC service center phone number is (800) 525-0102. Airmen can call this number when they need an answer to a personnel question 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 361 days. Sergeant Melnick stressed that a live person will always be on the other side of the line, that there will be no automated phone message. 

During the personnel services portion, Sergeant Melnick also went over the new Air Force Fitness program. One of the biggest changes is that the bike and three mile walking that individuals on a no running profile can complete instead of the run has been eliminated from the new test. Instead individuals can only complete a one mile walk test instead of the mile and a half run. 

"I think the briefing went outstanding and I appreciate all the participation from Grand Forks," said Col. Les Hargett, the team lead for Spread the Word tour. 

To view an electronic version of the Spread the Word briefing click here.