An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Article Display

Airmen feedback essential to additional duty study

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kat Bailey
  • Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Airmen may now take advantage of a free-form text questionnaire, readily identifying additional duties they believe are non-value added or need redesigning. The Air Force Manpower Agency here will use this feedback to assist in the Air Force's drive to reduce additional duty demands in order to free up Airmen's time.

"We are currently working with Air Force functional managers to identify Air Force-level directed additional duties and get information out to the field on this important issue," said AFMA's Mr. Charlie DiPietro who is leading the study. "We need Airmen to share their views on the value and impact of the additional duties they perform."

Air Force-directed additional duties are those supported by an Air Force Instruction or policy directive, for example, unit safety representative, supported by AFI 91-202.

The initial study, directed by the Air Force chief of staff, focused on the vast amount of ancillary training Airmen are required to complete every year. This initiative expanded to include additional duties and administrative tasks that also take time from primary duties. Air Force senior leadership decided one of the best ways to take care of Airmen is to give them time back by eliminating non-value added additional duties and ancillary training, or to make dramatic reductions consistent with law, policy and common sense.

"Additional duties are impacting Airmen's ability to perform their primary jobs," said Lt. Gen. Richard Newton III, deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel, during the June Air Force Process Council in Washington, D.C.

The plan for value-added additional duties is to consolidate as many as possible with reduced time requirements based on process improvements or to reduce the additional duty man-hour burden via automation, continued the general. Those additional duties that do not add value to the mission will be eliminated.

In addition to working with functional managers, AFMA will also ask major commands and wings to look at reducing locally-generated additional duties.

To get the needed feedback from the field, AFMA has created a Community of Practice on the Air Force Knowledge Now Web site called "Air Force Additional Duties Review - Saving Airmen's Time." Ultimately, the CoP will be the tool to provide updates on the study, a feedback avenue for Airmen, and to house the master list of Air force prescribed additional duties in a single location.

"By using this type of feedback, we can provide faster updates and ensure we understand which areas need the most focus," Mr. DiPietro said. "Airman can access the CoP with a password via the Air Force Portal from their duty location or home, and gain immediate worldwide access."

The expectation is that we'll hear some of the best ideas from innovative Airmen serving at the unit level, he said.

Airman can access the CoP and the questionnaire on a secure link directly at https://afkm.wpafb.af.mil/ASPs/CoP/OpenCoP.asp?Filter=AF-DP-00-70. A Common Access Card is required. The Air Force Portal link is available at https://wwwd.my.af.mil/afknprod/ASPs/CoP/OpenCoP.asp?Filter=AF-DP-00-70.