by Daniel P. Elkins
Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs
1/5/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- In an effort to better highlight candidates who possess the skills necessary for officer promotion in today's expeditionary Air Force, senior Air Force officials approved changes to the officer selection brief.
The modified officer selection brief will be used beginning with boards in June and include a more detailed professional military education section, the addition of a foreign language proficiency section and an acquisition qualifications section.
"The modifications to the officer selection brief better highlight important competencies for global Air Force operations and allow officers with these attributes to be more easily identified by promotion boards," said Brig. Gen. Sharon Dunbar, the force management policy director, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel.
The Force Management and Development Council, which makes strategic-level recommendations to the secretary of the Air Force and chief of staff of the Air Force on force management and development issues based on input from leaders across the Air Force, recommended the modifications as a means to identify Air Force officers with key skills in today's force.
For example, the enhanced PME section reflects the Air Force's emphasis on officer development. The section will include an at-a-glance summary of the school attended, method of completion and date of completion. Previously, the section just included the level of schooling and date of completion.
The council also found that officers who have foreign language skills and cultural experience relevant to world operations play a key role in supporting joint combatant commanders. Therefore, they recommended the addition of a foreign language section to help identify these in-demand officers to promotion boards. This new section will capture the language, listening and reading proficiency level and a certification date.
"Officers who possess such language skills and cultural understanding underscore the service's efforts in developing regional expertise and building partnerships across the globe," said Mike Nolta, the deputy chief of the international Airmen division for the Secretary of the Air Force International Affairs office.
Finally, the addition of the acquisition certification section helps identify those contracting professionals who have the necessary skills and training to ensure acquisition excellence--one of the Air Force's top priorities. The brief identifies majors who have met all acquisition corps eligibility requirements with the exception of rank as "eligible" for admission into the Air Force Acquisition Corps.
Personnel officials said identifying these Airmen also keeps the Air Force in compliance with U.S. code that ensures active-component officers selected for the acquisition corps are promoted at the rate of line officers. This code does not apply to the Reserve component.
Promotion boards are conducted and administered at the Air Force Personnel Center and Air Reserve Personnel Center. For more information and links to resources, visit the Officer Promotions page at the Air Force Personnel Center personnel services website or call the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102.
