Air Force personnel changes call for proactive Airmen

JBER PAO staff report

10/9/2014 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Air Force members will see changes to the Air Force Development Education, the Enlisted Evaluation System, and the Weighted Airman Promotion System, which have begun. They will continue over the next 18 months for active duty; next 30 months for both Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard as part of a comprehensive personnel overhaul.  Air Force officials are asking Airmen to be proactive and be on the lookout for upcoming changes.

Weighted Airman Promotion System
In August 2014, the Air Force announced a series of changes to the Weighted Airman Promotion System, slated to be implemented in the coming months, which will focus on improving the enlisted evaluation and promotion process to ensure promotions are based on performance.

"We want to make sure performance is the most important thing in every aspect of an Airman's career," said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. "So the evaluation process is going to measure performance and the promotion system is going to emphasize performance."

During Phase 1 of the changes to WAPS, the calculation for technical sergeant and below promotion will use the three most recent evaluations. The most, intermediary and least recent Enlisted Performance Reports will weigh as 60 percent, 30 percent and 10 percent respectively, increasing the maximum possible EPR points from 135 to 250. Time-in-grade and time-in-service points will decrease during the next several years to ensure promotions are base on performance. However, the decorations, specialty knowledge test and the promotion fitness examination points under WAPS will not change at this time, according to the Air Force Personnel Services report.

The top 60 percent of Airmen, who score the highest in their Air Force specialty code, will move on to Phase 2, where their record will be reviewed by an evaluation board.

"The commanders will have force distribution where they will recommend members eligible for promotion, when the new EPR is implemented," said Air Force Master Sgt. Carrie Rowland, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson career assistance advisor. "Members who were not placed in the top 60 percent of their AFSC will be non-selected for promotion."

Rowland said Airmen should be up to speed with the changes and ask questions. As the CAA, Rowland offers guidance to all enlisted personnel and their spouses on matters pertaining to retraining, special duty assignments and benefits. The CAA will assist the enlisted force when it comes to making informed decisions about each individual's career.

"So the important take away from this is for members to be aware of all the changes in [Air Force instructions 36-2406, Officer and Enlisted Evaluation System, and 36-2301, Developmental Education] that govern those changes and timelines," Rowland said.

Starting in November, static EPR closeout dates based on current grade will be used for each rank tied to regular Air Force promotion eligibility cut-off dates. The static dates and new EPR form (when released) will enable the implementation of the force distribution and restricted-stratification policy and result in more accurate, useful performance-based evaluation. The new reports include a section for promotion recommendations that will curb inflation. Chief master sergeants will see the static enlisted performance report closeout dateson May; senior master sergeants in July; master sergeants in September; technical sergeants in November; staff sergeants in January; and senior airman and below in March.

Professional Military Education
In addition to the Enlisted Evaluation System and promotion changes, the Professional Military Education program is also going to focus on a blending approach from in-residence training to distance learning.

"The blended approach is the most effective approach; it is more adaptable [and] we can deliver it to more Airmen," said Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Cody, during the 2014 Air Force Association's Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition. "We can make sure that every component of our Air Force has access to it in an equal way, where we don't have to prioritize one over the other because of the cost associated with it."

The PME curriculum will facilitate using a two-part process. The first portion is going to be a distance-learning course known as Course 15 for noncommissioned officers and Course 14 version 6 for senior noncommissioned officers, said Air Force Master Sgt. Levi Roberston, PME Center director of operations.

All Airmen who finished Phase 1 - in-resident Airman Leadership School - are required to meet the basic learning requirement for PME through distance learning. NCOs beginning at the seven-to-12 year time-in-service window need to enroll in the Phase 2 Distance Learning, while Phase 3 will meet the basic requirement for the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy beginning at the 12-to-18 year time-in-service window after completing and passing Phase 2. They will have 12 months to complete the course. An Airman who fails to enroll, completeor pass Phase 2 and 3 are ineligible to reenlist and compete for promotion until they meet the requirement.

"These courses are self-paced, but must be completed within 12 months of enrollment," Robertson said. "Completing these courses prepares NCOs and SNCOs for in-residence PME by assisting them in a higher comprehension level of lesson principles prior to in-residence
attendance."

After the completion of the distance learning Phase 2 or Phase 3, eligible Airmen can be scheduled to attend in-residence PME.

The comprehensive in-residence requirements for PME are no longer a requirement for promotion. "As we transition into the new curricula, there is a chance that not everyone will have a chance to attend PME in-residence," Robertson said. "As of now, this will not be a limiting factor when it comes to promotion. Completing rank-appropriate distance learning courses, Course 15 and Course 14 version 6, will ensure that members' records reflect completion to be eligible for promotion."

The comprehensive portion of Noncommissioned Officer Academy is called the Intermediate Leadership Experience, and the Senior Non-commissioned Officer Academy is called the Advanced Leadership Experience.

Members attending the ILE and ALE in-residence are going to focus on group interaction, leadership exercises, and communication. No testing is going to be administered at the end of these courses, as members already completed distance learning Phase 2 'Course 15,' and Phase 3 'Course 14 version 6.'

The requirement for NCOs who are eligible for Phase 2 NCOA ILE are for technical sergeant selects and non-selects across AFSCs who have a minimum of eight years and no more than 12 years TIS. While Phase 3 SNCOA ALE is a resident opportunity for all senior master sergeants, selects and non-selects across AFSCs who have a minimum of 13 years and no more than 18 years TIS.

"Those members in their window [distance learning Phase 2 and Phase 3 window] need to self-enroll on the Air University student information system website [https://auportal.maxwell.af.mil/auportal/welcome.airuniversity]," Robertson said.

Robertson's advice is for members to be proactive.

"If you are a technical sergeant with fewer than 11 years time-in-service and have not completed NCOA, you should already be enrolled and working on Course 15," Robertson added. "SNCO, if you completed the old Course 14 and plan on attending the SNCOA, you need to complete Course 14 version 6. These distance learning courses are not easy; they will take studying and time management to be successful. Our goal in PME is to guide our future Air Force leaders into becoming more efficient operational and strategic thinkers. This PME transition will help make this goal happen."

For more information about the enlisted evaluation system and WAPS, visit the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil. Select "search all components" from the drop down menu and in the search window enter "27948" for enlisted evaluation changes or "27949" for enlisted promotion changes. For information about PME changes, please read AFI 36-2301, Developmental Education.

Editor's note: Information for this story from myPers and AFI 36-2301, Developmental Education