The Air Force on Thursday began notifying commanders and senior raters seven days in advance about their airmen’s reassignments.
According to a message sent out this week by the Air Force Personnel Center, all assignments for senior master sergeants and below or for lieutenant colonels or below now will first be sent to the Military Personnel Flight. The MPF will then tell unit commanders and senior raters a week before the reassigned airman is notified.
Air Force spokeswoman Capt. Kate Atanasoff said the advance notification is intended to give commanders the opportunity to tell their airmen about their new assignment in person.
The move is similar to the Air Force’s 2016 move to give commanders advance notice of airmen’s promotions, so they can tell them face-to-face and congratulate them.
RELATED
![](https://www.armytimes.com/resizer/v2/54M4ORIHWJDF7ETP2H4PZP75EU.jpg?auth=5b6383bd46423d48669e984fd87361c89e465a961125762f5db3ac8db39afea0&width=7360&height=4912)
The change was first reported on the unofficial Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.