The Air Force said Friday that officer assignments will be based on two cycles throughout the year, instead of three.
Having fewer cycles for the Air Force Officer Assignment System each year means the two cycles will be longer, which will allow more time for officers, commanders, billet owners, and assignment teams to communicate, the Air Force Personnel Center said in a release.
“The transition will not change the assignment process, but it will expand the assignment advertisement windows to the field and increase the amount of advanced notification officers and their families receive prior to their moves,” said Maj. Derek Rankin, AFPC’s assignment program deputy branch chief. “With expanded windows of assignment advertising, airmen now have more time and a wider spectrum of visibility to make decisions that impact both their family lives and careers.”
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The new system will have a summer and a winter cycle, AFPC said. Officers reassigned during the summer cycle will have a report date between June and September, and the winter cycle will have report dates between October and May of each year.
This year’s winter cycle will begin this month, AFPC said. But once the new system is established, the winter cycle will begin in February.
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.
