Spread the Word rings high in elevation

Published Jan. 20, 2009
By Thea Skinner
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- A six-person team of military and civilian personnel experts engaged Air Force personnel, as Air Force Personnel Center commander, Maj. Gen. K.C. McClain facilitated three Spread the Word briefings at the at Peterson AFB Jan. 13.

The Spread the Word briefing, an Air Force-wide tour, began in October at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. The briefing focuses on topics including 365-day deployment options, the Global Air Expeditionary Force tempo-banding system, civilian hiring procedures and assignment processes.

The goal of the briefing is to educate personnel to understand changes taking place, and to complete the briefings at the end of the 2009 year, General McClain said.

Col. Christopher Sharpe, chief of the operations division within the directorate of AEF Operations at AFPC, addressed the new 365-day Permanent Change of Station and deployment option and Global AEF tempo-banding system to which Airmen are assigned.

Some179-day deployments will turn into a 365-day option. In order to streamline the selection process, AFPC selects Airmen for 365-day deployments, and Airmen must have the appropriate medical documentation.

"Fifty percent of Airmen do not go, because they do not medically qualify," Col. Sharpe said. "We have added 1600 billets (Enlisted Performance Reports and awards), but inventory has stayed the same."

As an end result of the electronic Global AEF tempo-banding system, personnel may connect further with broader joint-service communities.

"Tempo banding will allow us to speak the same language that the joint community understands," he said. "We have a chance to articulate the risks - it is about giving you some predictability and stability for deployments."

Another electronic system, referred to as the Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System, will also assist in changing the terms that personnel use. The system is part of a shift in service delivery from a face-to-face service model to a Web based application service.

DIMHRS improves the delivery of military personnel and pay services. The system will contain each servicemember's record with feature self-service options designed to empower servicemembers to maintain their personal information.

"DIMHRS will be the vehicle in which you manage your career," said Mr. Lee Shick, AFPC Personnel Services.

In DIMHRS, personnel evaluations are conducted electronically, and assignments notification are made through e-mail. Assignments are placed in a virtual folder with a virtual orders check list, he said.

On the civilian force integration service front, three electronic systems will merge into a single staffing solution. Since all resumes will be available online, the single system will allow for better access to military and civilian jobs.

"Two-hundred civilian jobs turn over several times a year," said Jim Hale, spokesperson for AFPC's Civilian Force Integration Directorate. "We have gone from 77,000 to 75,000 civilian jobs."

In order to hire potential civilian candidates sooner, a 120-day fill action process is proposed. From beginning to end, the process includes: a supervisor requests fill, a civilian personnel authorization request or classification check is made, an AFPC/DPI issue list is created, a supervisor makes selection, and an AFPC/DPI selection to entry on duty occurs. Mr. Hale suggests beginning the pay process ahead of time.

Feedback and answer sessions conducted after the briefings and at the AFPC "Ask" Website will help establish an Air Force Instruction to guide personnel.

"These have been very beneficial and valuable. We have been getting great feedback," General McClain said. "It will take 18 to 24 months to get an Air Force Instruction out."
Initiation of the 365-day option is estimated for Oct. 1, DIMHRS is anticipated to roll-out tentatively after fall 2009, and Mr. Hale will brief the chief of staff on the action process of 120 days in February.

Personnel may pose questions for answers at the AFPC "Ask" Web site at http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil or e-mail stw.workflow@randolph.af.mil. For individual personnel questions, contact the Air Force Contact Center at 800-616-3775 or DSN 665-5000.