DECEMBER 3, 2014, JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) – Eligible active-duty line officers interested in attaché duty must submit their application by Dec. 29, Air Force officials said Dec. 2.
The Air Force Personnel Center and the Secretary of the Air Force, international affairs office are accepting applications for senior defense official/defense attaché, air attaché and assistant air attaché duty at a dozen locations, with accompanied tour lengths ranging from 24 to 36 months, said Maj. Katie Tanner, the international affairs assignments chief.
“Attachés officially represent the secretary of defense, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, secretary of the Air Force and Air Force chief of staff to the host country defense ministry,” she said. “They help build and sustain relationships between the U.S. and host country and provide critical advice on bilateral political-military issues to the U.S. ambassador and country team.”
Attaché applicants must be active-duty senior captains, majors or lieutenant colonels, and must have their assignment functional manager’s hard-copy or email release to compete for attaché duty. Applicants and all immediate family members must be U.S. citizens, and candidates must take the Defense Language Aptitude Battery test to compete for foreign language-required positions.
Several defense attaché offices have C-12 aircraft assigned, so the attaché for those offices must be fixed-wing pilots, Tanner said. Although not mandatory, operations background, foreign language skills and experience in the desired region are highly desired.
A webinar is scheduled for Dec. 3, 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, on the Defense Connect Online site for officers interested in the opportunity.
Applicants selected for an interview will be notified by Jan. 30, and they (and spouses, if applicable) will be scheduled for an interview.
For more information about the attaché program including complete eligibility and application instructions, go to the Air Force Portal and enter “Attaché Program” in the search window, or visit myPers. Select “Search All Components” from the drop down menu and enter “Attaché Duty” in the search window.