Volunteers sought to thin officer ranks - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Volunteers sought to thin officer ranks

The Air Force is looking for more volunteers to thin the ranks of lieutenant colonel and below.

The latest incentive: service commitment and time-in-grade waivers for most officers O-5 and below, except pilots, combat systems officers, air battle managers, control and recovery officers, air liaison officers, airfield operation, intelligence officers, civil engineers, public affairs and contracting.

The move is part of the Air Force’s ongoing effort to hold its ranks to the congressionally mandated end strength of 332,800.

Under the time-in-grade waiver program, announced Dec. 9, officers can apply for retirement if they have two years’ time in grade and 20 years of military service at their requested retirement date.

A second program, called the limited active duty service commitment waiver program, allows officers to retire or separate before completing service obligations. Officers approved for a waiver must retire no later than Sept. 1 or separate no later than Sept. 29.

Officers may also apply for the Palace Chase program, in which they can transfer to the Reserve to fulfill their service commitments. Officers who qualify can transfer to the Reserve on a one-to-one service commitment, meaning those who still owe the Air Force a year, can serve that year in the Reserve. Generally a transfer to the Reserve through Palace Chase requires a three-year commitment in the Reserve for every one year of active-duty commitment. Those approved for Palace Chase must leave active duty by Sept. 1.

The new search for volunteers to leave active service follows an Air Force announcement in September that prior-enlisted officers in the line communities — judge advocate, Chaplain Corps, Biomedical Sciences Corps and Medical Service Corps — could apply for the 10-8 Commission Waiver Program. The program allows officers to retire at 20 years of military service, with at least eight of those years in commissioned service instead of the normal requirement of 10 years. The 300 officers who fall into this group can apply through June 1, but they must retire by Sept. 1.

Applicants will be considered on a case-by-case basis for all of these voluntary programs.

Commitments that will be fully or partially waived include:

• rmanent change-of-station commitments. The two-year commitment has been shaved to up to 18 months.

• Tuition assistance will be waived in full, unless you used some or all of it. If you did, you’ll have to pay it back.

• Technical training will be waived in full with no recoupment.

• The two-year commitment for officers who transferred their post-9/11 GI Bill benefit to their dependents will be waived in full, but there could be some recoupment, depending on what you did with your benefits.

Commitments that won’t be waived:

• Development education.

• Air Force-sponsored civilian education.

• Undergraduate pilot training and advance pilot training.

Retention bonuses, special pay and other monetary incentives would also have to be repaid before leaving active service.

To apply, visit the Virtual Military Personnel Flight online at https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil.