Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs
11/4/2010 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- A program designed to speed the re-enlistment process at deployed locations began this month.
The Deployed Re-enlistment Pilot Program, developed by officials at the Air Force Personnel Center and U.S. Air Forces Central Command, is being tested at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. If successful, officials could implement the program throughout the AFCENT area of responsibility by next summer.
The new program was a result of a process improvement for deployed Airmen aimed at saving time so they can focus on their mission, said Senior Master Sgt. Deron Warman, the superintendent of enlisted skills management at AFPC.
Currently, re-enlistments in the AOR can take as long as 30 days, due to transmitting documents to and from deployed areas and home stations. Under the pilot program, Airmen will request re-enlistment and then Total Force Service Center representatives will complete all the documents as well as update the military personnel system.
TFSC representatives will also obtain home-station commander concurrence. Officials believe the program should reduce the process by as much as 50 percent.
"With the Air Force moving toward web-based programs and using the TFSC for personnel actions, it makes sense to look at the deployed area for process improvement," Sergeant Warman said.
Officials are reminding re-enlistment-eligible Airmen who are projected to deploy that they must meet retainability requirements for the estimated tour length before departure from home station.
Once at the deployed location, re-enlistment eligible Airmen considering re-enlistment should have completed all documentation prior to departure from their home station and hand carried any necessary documents to the deployed location.
Officials will use the Deployed Re-enlistment Pilot Program for instances where eligible Airmen made the decision to re-enlist after arrival at the deployed location and had not hand carried re-enlistment documents to the deployed location.
For information about the program, contact your local military personnel section. Deployed Airmen can contact their Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team or call the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102 or DSN 565-5000.
