Air Force officials have modified two permanent change of station policies to give Airmen more flexible assignment options and better force development opportunities.
The time on station requirement for government funded joint-spouse assignments, where the Air Force assigns military couples (when possible) to a location where they can live in the same residence, has changed from 24 to 12 months.
“This change gives Airmen more flexibility and will help minimize financial hardships for married couples who are geographically separated and managing two households,” said Letty Inabinet, chief of the assignment programs and procedures branch at the Air Force Personnel Center here.
This policy change also applies to Airmen with projected permissive joint-spouse assignments who have not departed their current duty station.
The other PCS change involves recent adjustments in manning requirements for Airmen at stateside bases, which is expected to open up more base-of-preference opportunities for first-term and career Airmen.
These changes are expected to open up opportunities in the Volun-tary Stabilized Base Assignment Program, which gives Airmen the option to volunteer for certain bases in the continental United States that have been historically hard to fill.
The benefit to the volunteer is a stabilized tour of either four or five years depending on the location.
All other PCS policies, including assignment lengths, remain the same.
Limiting the number of PCS moves both stateside and overseas has helped the Air Force save PCS costs.
For more information, call the Total Force Service Center at (800) 525-0102, (210) 565-5000 or 665-5000.
(Courtesy of the Air Force News Service)