SEPTEMBER 21, 2023 – Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass published a letter to Airmen Sept. 18 detailing updates to the enlisted force development model.
The model reflects the new Enlisted Airmanship Continuum, a series of changes aiming to provide new development opportunities to Airmen.
Fellow Airmen,
Over the past several years, our service has been working diligently to meet our national defense needs. Our most significant advantage remains steadfast—a powerful, capable enlisted corps. We must continue to improve upon how we develop these Airmen to sustain our competitive advantage. Our Enlisted Professional Military Education, upgrade training, and career progression models have made us the force we are … however, we must always look at ways to improve.
In an age where speed and unity of effort dominate the battle space, a different approach is required. Teamwork between specialties, locations, and commands will be essential if we are to best integrate teams to achieve Agile Combat Employment and empower our Multi-Capable Airmen through mission command.
We commissioned the Enlisted Force Development Action Plan to reimagine and explore an ecosystem that connects rank-based progression and provides more development opportunities for our Airmen.
As a result, and in line with Line of Effort 5, Force Development Ecosystem, in the Action Plan, we are updating our EFD model to reflect the Enlisted Airmanship Continuum (100 – 900).
To best prepare our force for a new era of competition, we will see the following efforts take flight.
1) Foundations Courses will replace our base-level Professional Enhancement Seminars beginning October 2023 and become prerequisite courses for EPME starting in late 2024.
2) Prepping the Line Job Qualification Standard (JQS) was launched earlier in 2023 and supports leadership readiness in key positions and roles defined by the Enlisted Force Structure.
3) On-Demand PME will launch in 2024 and provide unrestricted access to relevant content for Airmen, when and where needed, increasing the level of shared expertise across formations.
The Enlisted Airmanship Continuum builds upon our strong foundation. It directly aligns with what we value as a service through the Airmen Leadership Qualities and Foundational Competencies. It focuses on broader options for the Total Force, closing development gaps, and delivering quality content in a variety of methods. We will continue to listen to the feedback of our Airmen to help us hit the desired targets as these efforts mature. This shift is about the long game and building the force of the future. We owe every Airman deliberate developmental opportunities throughout their careers to grow and become their very best. They will be the difference makers in the future fight, and we are choosing to invest in them now to ensure we remain the Air Force our Nation needs.
Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs