by Debbie Gildea
Air Force Personnel Center
3/21/2013 – JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) — Eligible active duty officers and civilians are now able to apply for intermediate and senior developmental education opportunities, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.
Officer applications are due to AFPC April 5, and civilian nominations are due May 1, said George McKey, AFPC officer developmental education branch.
A variety of developmental opportunities exist for those interested in continued growth and leadership, he said.
Intermediate programs include the Air Command and Staff College, Air Force Institute of Technology, international services program opportunities, and a variety of fellowship and internship programs. Senior programs include Air Force and defense fellowships, Army War College, Air Command and Staff College with an Air War College follow-on, international services senior development program opportunities, and more.
Requirements and eligibility vary depending on the program, and submission requirements differ for officers and civilians, so applicants should carefully review the program guide before preparing application documents.
Officer Process
Officers apply for developmental education using the AFPC secure web-based 3849 form, which is accessible via the Air Force Portal or the myPers website. Eligible officers and their senior raters will have access to the form through April 4.
“If you haven’t updated your AFPC secure account within the last 120 days, you’ll need to re-establish the password and register your common access card to be able to complete your 3849,” McKey said. “Don’t wait to take care of that or you may find yourself unable to accomplish the form.”
Officers must be nominated by whoever the senior rater was on Feb. 1, 2013, even if the applicant has since changed station or will before the application window closes. Senior raters who do not have a secure account or who have not accessed their account within the past 120 days also need to update the access information.
Once in the secure site, applicants must identify the education preferences in priority order. Applicants may request in-residence and equivalency programs, but must prioritize those as well.
IDE equivalency credit can be awarded for some PhD and master’s degrees through the Air Force Institute of Technology, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Captains’ Prestigious PhD program, Olmsted scholars and White House fellows programs and a variety of other options. SDE equivalence credit is also possible through such PhD and fellowship programs. Eligible officers may request that credit on the 3849 during the IDE or SDE eligibility window.
Officers selected for IDE or SDE will incur a three-year active duty service commitment, and officers who fail to successfully complete their program will incur a two-year ADSC.
Officers in their last year of eligibility who do not want to be considered for IDE or SDE may decline consideration on the 3849.
All applications must be complete, including senior rater nomination, by April 5 when the 3849 access window closes. Applicants will be considered by respective career field development teams and those selected will be forwarded to the Developmental Education Designation Board, which convenes in October. Selections will be announced in November.
Full eligibility criteria and application requirements are available on the myPers website at https://mypers.af.mil. Enter IDE/SDE/CDE or PSDM 13-19 in the search window.
Civilian Process
The Civilian Developmental Education Board will convene in September to consider high-potential employees for education opportunities that best suit their career goals and the needs of the Air Force, said Loretta Brown, AFPC leadership development chief.
“In spite of budget cuts and the impending furlough, the Air Force has a mission to accomplish and needs capable leaders,” said Brown. “The Air Force will continue to develop current and future leaders to expand their knowledge and increase their understanding of the role of air, space and cyberspace power. We will continue to prepare Air Force personnel to anticipate and successfully meet challenges across the wide range of military operations. Developmental education positively impacts retention efforts, and the Air Force will continue to use CDE to care for and invest in its people.”
Approximately 700 civilians between GS-07 and GS-15 (and equivalent grades) will be selected for schools and programs that range from Squadron Officer School to Air War College. Applicants must be nominated by local leadership and endorsed by their chain of command, said Brown.
All applicants must meet basic eligibility requirements, including appropriate grade and education levels required for the specific program and two years in the Air Force civil service by May 1. Completion of intermediate or senior level professional military education is also required for senior developmental education applicants.
Nomination packages are prepared and submitted through the myPers website. Packages must include the completed CDE checklist, a completed AF Form 4059, Air Force Civilian Competitive Development Nomination Form, with the appropriate level signature; a resume (per guidance on the website), a signed mobility agreement and signed waiver request (where applicable).
Required documents and full completion instructions are available on the myPers force development page, as well as a complete list of opportunities and criteria.
Also, the Civilian Strategic Leadership Program will accept applications from GS-14 and 15 employees willing to accept multifaceted challenges designed to prepare them for increased responsibility in functional and enterprise-wide positions, Brown said. Prospective nominees have until May 1 to apply. For more information and application instructions, go to myPers and enter “CSLP” in the search window. For additional information, select the “contact us” link on the CSLP page.
The Civilian Developmental Education Board is slated to meet in September, with selection announcements scheduled for November. In addition, the CSLP Selection Board will meet in September to consider senior program candidates. CSLP nominees approved by the Air Force Chief of Staff will be notified in November.
For more information and full application instructions for civilian developmental education, go to myPers at https://mypers.af.mil, and scroll to the “Force Development” link on the left side of the page. For general information about civilian career opportunities, go to www.afciviliancareers.com.
For information about other Air Force personnel issues, visit myPers.