Admin Career Field makes an AF-wide comeback

by Master Sgt. Jerome C. Baysmore
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

5/2/2014 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- April 23 commemorated Administrative Professionals Day across the United States and this May will bring the official return of the Air Force admin career field.

About 80 percent of the current Airmen assigned to the knowledge operations management career will transition to the new 3A1X1 administration specialty code to align with their current duty responsibilities.
 

"This change is significant because it affects nearly every Air Force organization, as well as support we provide outside the Air Force," said Chief Master Sgt. Robert Jackson, Knowledge Operations Management career field manager. "Unlike other specialties, the administrative career field is positioned in every type of unit."
 

Senior Master Sgt. Nadine Love, current AMC Knowledge Operations Management functional manager, agreed.  She added this move will allow Airmen of all ranks and AFSCs to put more focus on their core mission while they rely on "3A" personnel for administration support with human resources, executive support and commander programs.  Love is among approximately 360 AMC Airmen making the career field switch in May.
 

"Previously, our career field was operating in a lot of areas to include computer support," she said. "This truly reflects that what you see about our AFSC--on paper--is exactly what we will be doing.
 

"Secondly, we as Airmen will be able to capitalize on the same training and experience that this stand-alone specialty brings throughout the entire career field," she said.  "As knowledge operations managers, people were a little unsure of where we fit in and this change will hopefully fix that--I'm excited."
 

Air Force Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh III, while serving as the U.S. Air Force European Command commander, presented the idea to bring back the administrative career field through a presentation on eroding unit support over the previous 10 years at 2012 Corona South commander's conference. Now as the AF top uniformed leader, he will see these changes come to fruition in May.
 

"The return of the 3A AFSC does not introduce a new requirement on the Air Force. The benefits will come as a result of improved classification, training and billet placement," Jackson said. "This is much more efficient and enables us to reach our objectives at little or no cost:  truly a win-win all around."
 

(Senior Airman Jamie Jaggers Air Force Public Affairs Agency, Operating location - P contributed to this article.)