Force Management Team clarifies GFAFB questions Published April 5, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Rachel Martinez 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Brig. Gen. Michael S. Stough, Deputy Director of Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, held a briefing April 1 at the Grand Forks Air Force Base theater to inform Airmen about the Force Management Program (FMP) for the fiscal year 2010 and 2011. The FMP is designed to reduce the size and shape of the Air Force to meet current and future mission requirements. Currently, the Air Force has more Airmen than congressionally authorized due to some of the highest retention rates in 15 years, stated General Stough. General Stough announced the enlisted force will be reduced by 1.6 percent (4, 376) and the officer force will be reduced by 2 percent (1,373). "We are also reducing the number of accessions of folks coming into the Air Force," said General Stough. The FMP will also balance the Air Force Specialty Codes that are over-manned and provide more personnel to other career fields that are critically manned and stressed, General Stough added. In order to achieve the reduction in force, General Stough explained the Air Force will implement voluntary and involuntary separation programs. Some the enlisted voluntary separation programs highlighted by General Stough include: active-duty service commitment waivers that will allow Airmen to separate before the expiration of their active-duty service commitments; reenlistment contract waivers which waives the remaining contracted service with the most recent reenlistment to expedite separation; palace chase with a reduce commitment from a 3 - 1 ratio to a 1 - 1 ratio and blue-to-green, which allows the Airman to transfer their remaining Air Force active-duty commitment to the Army. Similar to the enlisted force, the officer voluntary separation programs emphasized by General Stough include: voluntary separation pay at two times the severance pay; palace chase reduction in commitment from a 3 -1 ratio to a 1 -1 ratio; the blue-to-green inter-service transfer to the Army and active-duty service commitment waivers. One of the enlisted non-voluntary separation programs General Stough stressed was the Dates of Separation Rollback. Dates of Separation Rollback is an early release of some Airmen with less than 14 years of service or more than 20 years of service who have declined training, failed initial training, declined retainability for an assignment or who have negative quality indicators described General Stough. "The major promotion opportunity is dropping to 90 percent," said General Stough. Some of the officer mandatory non-voluntary separation programs highlighted by General Stough include: limited initial skill training reclassification; a force shaping board for officers with less than six years of active service who are serving in overmanned AFSCs; reduction in force board where the mandatory separation dates will be no later than March 1, 2011 and selective early retirement board for Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels. Those selected will be allowed to set a retirement date out to May 1, 2011. "Our big emphasis is that we want to help to ensure a successful transition into the civilian sector," said General Stough. To help ease the separation, General Stough said pre-separation classes will be offered by the Airmen and Family Readiness Center. Also, there will be a transition assistance program class, unemployment compensation for separating Airmen and transition support for deployed and remotely separated Airmen. "If you're involuntarily separated, there are some other benefits offered to you," said General Stough. These benefits include two years of Commissary and Base Exchange privileges, 180 days of extended medical care for self and family, an opportunity to enroll in the Post 9/11 Government Issue Bill and permissive temporary duty assignment. With all the changes, leadership from Grand Forks AFB was excited that representatives from AMC came to help clarify the future. "Thank you to the team from AMC," said Col. John Quinn, 319th Air Refueling Wing vice-commander. "They did a great job briefing and answering all of our Airmen's questions." For more information about the FMP, visit the Air Force Personnel Center's website here or call AFPC at (800)525-0102.