Engaging with the Workforce U.S. ARMY DIRECTOR, ACQUISITION CAREER MANAGEMENT OFFICE (JULY 2017) Kelly Terry The Army DACM Office is pleased to announce its very first Army Acquisition Workforce (AAW) Summit: Back to Basics pilot. This is an opportunity for the DACM Office to communicate and collaborate with the AAW; we want to hear what you have to say! The first pilot to the AAW communities will be at Aberdeen Proving Ground-North on Sept. 6 and Aberdeen Proving Ground-South on Sept. 7. This summit will engage AAW members, at all levels, on critical information related to acquisition careers. Our intention is to provide an overview of the acquisition workforce composition, an understanding of what the Army DACM Office does, and what it can do for you, along with the resources and tools available to you. This is also a great way for you to voice your concerns, comments, and suggestions on how we may better meet, or enable, your acquisition career development needs. Stay Tuned: The Army DACM Office will work with your organization s acquisition points of contact (OAPs) and acquisition career management advocates (ACMAs) to ensure you receive all the logistical and administrative information necessary to facilitate your participation if you are located at APG. Think general session in the morning, followed by dedicated workshops in the afternoon. For questions on the summit, please contact Kelly Terry at Kelly.l.terry2.civ@mail. mil. Defense Department Launches Retirement System Comparison Calculator DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS, PRESS OPERATIONS (JUNE 6, 2017) The Department of Defense officially launched the Blended Retirement System (BRS) comparison calculator, providing BRS opt-in eligible service members their first opportunity for an individualized comparison of retirement systems. The comprehensive tool, in combination with the mandatory BRS Opt-In Course, will assist the nearly 1.7 million opt-in eligible service members and their families make an informed decision on whether or not to elect the new retirement system. The BRS goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. We have designed an all-in-one calculator that is intuitive to use and takes into account the unique financial situations of our active duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members, said Tony Kurta, performing the duties of undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. The calculator presents to service members the information needed to make an effective comparison. The calculator will provide service members the ability to compare estimated benefits between their current retirement plan and BRS prior to making this important decision. Service members can adjust 12 inputs to reflect their personal situation and planning assumptions to see how changes to their career and savings will impact retirement benefits over the long-term. With a simple click, service members can change any of the inputs and re-run the calculations as many times as needed. The comparison calculator provides personalized estimates based on a service member s individual information, career progression, pay and bonuses, and retirement options. The all-in-one calculator was designed for the Total Force and can be used by active duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members. The official DoD comparison calculator is the only calculator endorsed by the DoD for supporting a service member s Blended Retirement System opt-in decision. Service members may use any calculator they feel can aid them in the decision making process, said Kurta. However, only the DoD BRS comparison calculator has been validated by the department as complying with all DoD and BRS policy and tested for accuracy. The comparison calculator is intended to be used in conjunction with the mandatory BRS Opt-In Course, which launched Jan. 31. The opt-in course is focused on comparing the current legacy military retirement system (often referred to as the high-3 system) and the new Blended Retirement System, along with elements on financial management and retirement planning for service members. Service members are encouraged to take the Opt-In Course prior to utilizing the BRS comparison calculator. The decision whether to opt into the BRS is a completely personal one and the DoD takes no position on which system a service member should elect. While the calculator is a valuable resource, said Kurta, it should not be the only resource used in making an opt-in decision. Service members are encouraged to use all resources available to them in the decision-making process, to include completion of the BRS Opt-In Course, utilizing the BRS Comparison Calculator, accessing the online BRS resource materials and scheduling time with a personal financial counselor or manager. Service members can get free, personal support from an accredited personal financial counselor or manager through their installation s Military and Family Support Center. Search online at http://militaryinstallations.dod.mil/ or http://www.jointservicessupport.org/spn. 1
Commanders to Have More Say in Developmental Education Opportunities SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JULY 13, 2017) WASHINGTON Air Force officials recently announced changes to the nomination process for officer developmental education beginning with the results of the March 2017 Line of Air Force Major Board. The March 2017 LAF Major s Board results will be released publicly July 18, 2017, and will not include in-residence, developmental education selection or select status. The decision to separate school selection stemmed from inputs from the field and discussions with wing commanders about how we continue to improve joint warfighting excellence. This is about lethality. Winning in combat starts with great leadership, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein. Effective immediately, commanders will now nominate inresidence, DE selection based on individual performance. Our commanders know their people best, and must identify airmen whose consistent high performance makes them best suited for these developmental opportunities, said Goldfein. This also continues Secretary Wilson s and my emphasis on pushing decision authority back to commanders where it belongs. The new DE policy impacts in-residence DE nominations beginning in 2018 for academic year 2019 and beyond. This change offers all eligible officers a more transparent and equitable process toward which they can attend in-residence developmental education, said Lt. Gen. Gina Grosso, the deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services. Those previously identified as selects from a promotion board will retain their status until completion of their respective intermediate or senior DE opportunity. At this time, the number of IDE and SDE opportunities will not change, explained Grosso. As grandfathered school selects rotate through IDE and SDE, senior raters will be provided the ability to nominate an increasingly higher percentage of eligible officers to the IDE/ SDE Central Board. Previously, senior raters were limited to no more than 20 percent of candidates for IDE and 25 percent of candidates for SDE. This changes the process by which we select our best based upon commanders assessment of officers sustained performance and their potential to lead in the complex global security environment we operate in, said Goldfein. Specific guidance on the future selection process will be sent to commanders no later than February 2018. Nominations for academic year 2019 and beyond will consider commander inputs, Air Force requirements and officers records of performance. For more information on Air Force development programs, visit mypers and search for 34805. Personnel questions should be directed to local military personnel flights or the Total Force Service Center at 1-800-525-0102 or 210-565- 0102. Air Force Rolls Out Phased Retirement Program for Eligible Civilians AIR FORCE PERSONNEL CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JULY 17, 2017) Richard Salomon JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas Eligible Air Force civilian employees now have the option of working part time in a semi-retired status, according to new Air Force Instruction 36-817, Civilian Phased Retirement Program. The civilian phased retirement program allows eligible fulltime employees to request to work on a part-time basis and receive a portion of their retirement annuity. Under the program, phased retirees will work half the number of hours they worked as full-time employees immediately prior to entering phased retirement. This program allows dedicated employees with decades of experience to pass on critical knowledge to our other employees in the organization, said Annette Castro, a human resource specialist at the Air Force Personnel Center. It serves as a mentoring and training tool to ensure the next generation of civilians are prepared for success. Institutional knowledge is often difficult to replace. Participation is voluntary and requires the mutual consent of both the employee and the Air Force. To be eligible, employees should be employed on a full-time basis for at least three consecutive years before beginning the program. The phased retirement period is for one year with an option to extend for an additional year. The rules for employees under the Federal Employees Retirement System differ slightly from those employees under the Civil Service Retirement System. Retirement-eligible employees under FERS will need to have at least 30 years 2
of service and have reached the minimum retirement age (between 55 and 57, depending on the birth year) or have at least 20 years of service and be at least 60 years old. Under CSRS, employees will need to have at least 30 years of service and be at least 55 years old or have at least 20 years of service and be at least 60 years old. Under the guidelines, civilian employees in the phased retirement program remain in the same position authorization they were in prior to entering the program and should not be moved to an over-hire billet or to another authorization while in phased retirement. Hiring officials may hire an additional part-time employee to carry out the remaining 50 percent manning hours or a full-time, over-hire employee only if funding is available to support both the phased retiree s part-time salary and the part-time/full-time replacement. Additionally, phased retirees will be required to mentor other employees for at least 20 percent of their working hours. Air Force organizations can establish mentoring guidelines to best suit their needs. Mentorship plays an important role in shaping our future leaders and for passing on knowledge to successive generations, Castro said. It s an investment that requires time, effort and dedication. Civilian employees considering phased retirement are encouraged to fully research the program. The new AFI can be found at Air Force e-publishing. For more information, visit the mypers web site and search Phased Retirement. Individuals who do not have a mypers account can request one by following the instructions on the Air Force Personnel Center website at http://www.afpc. af.mil/. AFMC Hosts First SMART Symposium, Highlighting Civilian Career Opportunities AIR FORCE MATERIEL COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JULY 21, 2017) Mary Allen WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio Selected scholars and senior leaders across Department of Defense attended the first Science and Mathematics for Research Transformation (SMART) Scholar Symposium July 18-19 at Wright-Patterson AFB. Sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and hosted by the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Engineering and Technical Management Directorate, the twoday action packed event featured introductions, demonstrations, and presentations from the Air Force, Army, Navy, DoD SMART Program, and several universities. The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program is aimed to increase the number of highly skilled technical scientists and engineers working at DoD facilities and agencies. Scholarships are awarded to applicants who are pursuing an undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degree in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), according to the SMART Program officials. AFMC is the second largest major command of the Air Force, employing approximately 80,000 civilian and active duty military members across United States and overseas. It is approximately 80 percent civilian and 20 percent military. AFMC employs approximately 40 percent of all civilians in the USAF, said Gail Forest, Director of Engineering and Technical Management at AFMC. AFMC employs some of the brightest scientist and engineers in the Air Force. There are approximately 18,000 scientists and engineers in the Air Force; 77 percent reside in AFMC and 84 percent of them are civilians, said Forest. SMART students not only receive an education, but also a civilian career. Post-degree service commitment corresponds with the length of the scholarship received. The application process normally opens in August and closes in December, according to the SMART program officials. During the two-day event, SMART Scholars from across the nation gave talks on cutting-edge technology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science held communication science workshops during the course of the symposium. Scholars were treated to a tour of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory, home to innovation of air, space, and cyberspace technology. A poster session was held as a part of the Wright Dialogue with Industry, a community partnership with Dayton Defense. A luncheon hosted by senior leaders across DoD gave scholars quality time with their respective service leaders to ask questions about available opportunities. The guest speaker was Brig. Gen. Christopher Azzano, Director of Air, Space and Cyberspace Operations at AFMC. The SMART program offers: Full tuition/fees paid up to five years Annual stipend from $25K-$38K Summer internships Post-graduate career opportunities 3
Gail Forest, Director of Engineering and Technical Management at Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC), speaks with Jacob Dobson (center), a Science and Mathematics for Research Transformation (SMART) scholarship recipient, at the first SMART Symposium held at Wright-Patterson AFB, July 18-19, 2017. The symposium represented all Department of Defense Services and was hosted by AFMC. Air Force photo The symposium concluded with a look-ahead session and a recognition ceremony led by Chris Deckard, Office of the Secretary of Defense SMART program manager. For additional information on the SMART program, go to https:// smart.asee.org. Air Force Opens Doors to Universities, Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs to Boost Innovation SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JULY 21, 2017) WASHINGTON Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced the launch of AFwerX July 21, 2017, during her visit to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. Based on a model used by Special Operations Command, AFwerX opens Air Force doors to highly innovative problem solvers with small amounts of money in ways that strip out bureaucracy. The first AFwerX location will be near the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, so students and faculty, small businesses, and entrepreneurs can connect easily to the Air Force. The storefront is slated to open by early 2018 with open to the public hours for individuals and groups to present ideas. We re changing the way we do business with innovators, Wilson said. Bringing an AFwerX storefront to Vegas allows us to take advantage of Nevada s emerging idea marketplace. This site is intended to engage the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to help the Air Force increase lethality at a lower cost, Wilson said. We have to move faster and be smarter, she added. We know there are people out there with answers to problems, with ideas and innovations, and we are going to look at what they have and help them help us. AF Chooses Eight Officers for DARPA Fellows Program AIR FORCE PERSONNEL CENTER PUBLIC AFFAIRS (JULY 24, 2017) Kat Bailey JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas The Air Force has selected eight active-duty officers for participation in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Service Chiefs Fellows Program. 4
This three-month fellowship provides participants with insight into cutting-edge technology while potentially facilitating the development of future DARPA technologies. DARPA s mission as the central research and development agency for the Defense Department is to make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security and to prevent strategic surprise. The DARPA SCFP was established to expose military officers and government civilians to a unique organization whose mission is to rapidly develop imaginative, innovative, and often high-risk research ideas. The Service Chiefs Fellows Program assists DARPA in understanding Service needs based on input from the participants into DARPA s technology development efforts, said Tech. Sgt. Rebecca Fobbs, the NCO in charge of officer developmental education. Fellows from each branch of service have the opportunity to dive deeply into specific technology development in areas of interest to them and to their respective service, as well as a chance to understand the breadth of DARPA research. This introduction to the DARPA innovation process allows fellows to gain valuable research experience and return to the field with an appreciation for the agency s role of supporting DoD missions, Fobbs said. The 2018 participants, listed alphabetically by last name, are Maj. Matthew Cisar, Pacific Air Forces; Maj. Nicholas Disney, Air Mobility Command; Maj. Colin Hanson, Air Force Materiel Command; Maj. Nathan Jordan, Air Combat Command; Maj. Hope Klukovich, U.S. Air Force Academy; Maj. Joshua Stinson, U.S. Special Operations Command; Maj. Richard Turner, AFMC; and Maj. Christopher Uhland, Headquarters Air Force. According to Fobbs, upon completion of their assignment to the SCFP, fellows serve as informal liaisons between DARPA and the Services based on the close relationships developed during the program and an enhanced understanding of DAR- PA s technology development process. For more than 50 years, DARPA has held to a singular and enduring mission: to make pivotal investments in breakthrough technologies for national security. The genesis of that mission and of DARPA itself dates to the launch of Sputnik in 1957, and a commitment by the United States that, from that time forward, it would be the initiator and not the victim of strategic technological surprises. Find additional information about the Fellows program on mypers from the Developmental Education and Special Programs link off the officer Force Development landing page. Alternatively, select Active Duty Officer from the dropdown menu and search DARPA. For more information about Air Force personnel programs, go to mypers. Individuals who do not have a mypers account can request one by following the instructions at http://www. afpc.af.mil/mypers/. U.S. Army Director, Acquisition Career Management Office Update (Aug. 1, 2017) The Army Pamphlet (DA PAM) 600-3, Commissioned Officer Professional Development and Career Management, was published June 26. In an effort to better align acquisition s unique functional area career management and education requirements with the Army development and career management baseline, the Army Acquisition Corps portion (Chapter 41) underwent significant changes. For this revision, the baseline guidance (Chapters 1-7) was published in the traditional manner of release, while the remaining branch-specific portions (Chapters 8-41) are linked through MILSuite (https:// login.milsuite.mil/?goto=https%3a%2f%2fwww.milsuite. mil%3a443%2fbook%2fgroups%2fsmartbook-dapam-600-3) with the noted link posted in the Summary of Changes page within the base document. 5