Airmen have four more weeks to apply for a chance to take up to three years off from the Air Force.
In a Facebook chat Tuesday, the Air Force Personnel Center reminded airmen that the application window for the second round of the Career Intermission Program, which opened on July 1, will close Aug. 31. AFPC did not answer an airman’s question asking how many applications it has received so far.
After the application window closes, a panel will convene Sept. 29 to choose up to 20 officers and 20 enlisted airmen to participate in the sabbatical program. Their breaks will begin in 2016.
Air Force personnel chief Lt. Gen. Samuel Cox first announced the program last year, and said it would help the service hold on to talented airmen while they start families or go back to school.
The first round of CIP chose 32 airmen — 14 officers and 18 enlisted — to take between one year to three years off.
In response to other questions from airmen, AFPC said that airmen who are married to other service members will receive join spouse consideration for their first assignment after they return from their sabbatical.
AFPC also said CIP is now authorized until the end of 2019.
However, the Air Force hopes Congress will give it the authority to keep offering this program.
And if an airman is approved for a sabbatical for a certain period of time, but then decides he wants to shorten or lengthen his break, AFPC said he could change his “participation window” by submitting a request to AFPC.
Airmen who take a break under CIP will enter the Individual Ready Reserve, and will be ineligible for promotion consideration until they return to active duty, AFPC said. Someone who has been selected for a promotion, but has not yet pinned on at the time their break begins, will have their pin-on date pushed back by the same amount of time they are on a break, AFPC said.
The time spent in a CIP break does not count toward high year of tenure or time-in-grade, AFPC said.
And airmen on IRR status will have to check in once a month electronically with the Career Intermission Program Manager to verify their contact information, health and wellness.
