More changes coming to the enlisted evaluations, promotions

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  • By 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  As the new enlisted evaluation and promotion system enters its second year, the Air Force is continuing to implement changes to ensure a seamless integration of the program across the force. 

In 2015, the Air Force began execution of the new enlisted evaluation and promotion systems with the goal of ensuring performance as the main factor when promoting or evaluating Airmen. The new systems also increased a commander's opportunities to identify top performers and clearly indicate an Airman's promotion potential to the boards.

Chief Master Sgt. William Whitt, 436th Airlift Wing acting command chief, said the new EPR system helps to remove fluff from EPRs and ensures that the focus is based on an Airman's job performance. He also said there was some expected push back from the initial release of the new EPR system.

"There is always some apprehension about change, it's human nature," said Whitt. "I think now that people are getting a little more used to it, they are settling in. I do believe this is a step in the right direction to making our promotion system on the enlisted side more viable."

Enlisted performance reports available for review by senior NCO evaluation boards will decrease from the previous 10 to five years beginning with the calendar year 2016 master sergeant evaluation board. This change allows an increased focus on recent performance and compliments implementation of restricted stratification and forced distribution rules that also emphasize recent performance.

"I believe the reduction from the 10 years to five years is a deliberate step towards focusing on the relevance of an individual's most recent performance history," said Whitt. "It answers the question of 'what have you done in your recent career to show that you're ready for that next stripe and ready to join the senior NCO ranks?'"

The Air Force is also transitioning to a single-phase process for the upcoming master sergeant evaluation board.

Starting with the 2016 promotion cycle, the master sergeant evaluation board will be condensed into a single-phase process in which all weighted factors and board scores are combined into one score for each Airman. Accordingly, this single-phase approach will eliminate the EPR points as a separate weighted factor similar to senior and chief master sergeant evaluation boards.

"After going through the first master sergeant evaluation board in 2015, we were able to assess our capacity to review all eligible Airmen. We now know our systems, facility and annual board schedule can support boarding all eligible technical sergeants," said Brig. Gen. Brian Kelly, the director of military force management policy. "This adjustment allows every technical sergeant a chance to have their performance reviewed on its own merit directly by the board."

Under these adjustments the master sergeant evaluation board will review all eligible technical sergeant selection folders containing each Airman's evaluation brief, EPRs closing out within five years of the promotion eligibility cutoff date (PECD), and all decorations received over the Airman's entire career. Any Article 15 received within two years of the PECD and recommended for placement in the selection folder by a commander will also be visible.

Another announced adjustment for 2016 is the continuation of the previously-planned reduction in points associated with time-in-service and time-in-grade. For calendar 2016, the multipliers for calculating total TIS and TIG points will be reduced again by another one-third, impacting the 2016 E-5, E-6, E-7, E-9, and 2017 E-8 promotion cycles. The Air Force will again conduct analysis on the impact of this change and determine if future reductions to completely eliminate the TIG and TIS weighted points from the Weighted Airman Promotion System will continue in calendar 2017.

Finally, beginning in calendar 2016, EPR point calculations for promotion to grades E-5 and E-6 will be based solely on an Airman's last three forced distributed reports in their current grade. This adjustment provides an equitable method for transitioning from the legacy to the new system. Accounting for legacy EPRs, if in current grade, is accomplished by considering and factoring them into an Airman's promotion recommendation. This allows a clean break under the new Forced Distribution system where no points are awarded for legacy EPRs.

For more information about senior NCO evaluation board processes or other adjustments related to enlisted evaluation and promotions, visit the myPers website.

(Content for this article was provided by Tech. Sgt. Bryan Franks, Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Command Information)