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NEWS | Dec. 16, 2019

Air Force updates 2020 developmental education processes, policies

By Kat Bailey Air Force’s Personnel Center Public Affairs

The Air Force’s Developmental Education Designation Board has implemented significant process improvements to the 2020 nomination procedures. The DEDB provides a process for active-duty officers opting to compete for intermediate- or senior-level developmental education in-residence. 

“Developmental education is central to the continuum of learning that spans an officer’s professional career,” said Capt. Aaron Lee, chief of force development support at the Air Force’s Personnel Center. “We want to provide our Airmen, their families and commanders added flexibility within the Air Force DE process.” 

Major policy and procedural changes for Academic Year 2021-2022 include “Definitely Attend” distribution and “Deliberate Development” eligibility for IDE. According to Lee, all wing commanders and some senior raters for Line of the Air Force officers earned a Definitely Attend nomination last year. “Based on the success of the Definitely Attend program and attrition of those selected for IDE, the Air Force has implemented new distributions this year based on senior raters’ eligible populations.” 

In another major policy change, officers in the LAF, health professions and chaplain categories are now eligible for IDE deliberate development, provided they meet all other eligibility criteria. 

“The election for deliberate development allows officers to compete in the DEDB and if designated, forgo having to attend school in residence,” Lee said. “We operate in an unpredictable landscape which requires flexibility and responsiveness in our DE processes. These changes provide this agility and ensure avenues are available to help us retain talented Airmen.” 

The nomination window is scheduled to open Dec. 16 in MyVECTOR for officers to input their DE preferences and comments. The window is scheduled to close on Jan. 17, 2020, for officers in student status and Feb. 7, 2020, for all other officers. 

Lee stated officers selected for DE will attend programs such as Air Command and Staff College, Air War College, National War College and others. “DE is designed to educate and professionally broaden individual officers into strategic leaders who can provide innovative solutions to the future complex challenges facing the Air Force,” he said. 

For more information about developmental education, visit myPers; click the Force Development link from the active-duty officer landing page or select the active-duty officer category from the dropdown menu and search “developmental education.”