News United States Air Force
 Air Force fields new hiring process for new first sergeantsPublished Sept. 19, 2019
                        
                        By  Kat Bailey
                        
                        
                        Air Force’s Personnel Center Public Affairs
                **JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) --**
                The Air Force has implemented a new hiring process for new first sergeants with the Fall 2019 first sergeant assignment cycle.

Rather than the current nomination-only process, the Air Force has removed the first sergeant assignment from Developmental Special Duty and is using a combination volunteer and nomination process when bringing on first sergeants for their initial assignments in the career field to ensure the right Airmen are selected and assigned to these special duty positions.
“Leadership teams, to include the commander, superintendent and first sergeant are charged with screening and nominating highly-qualified master sergeants to serve in first sergeant positions across the Air Force while enabling Airmen to volunteer for such a time-honored position,” said Master Sgt. Shannon Tabor, Air Force Personnel Center first sergeant functional assignment manager.
The volunteer and nomination period is open via myPers advertisement and runs year-round to garner prospective volunteers for first sergeant special duty. AFPC will conduct two first sergeant assignment cycles per year — a spring and a fall cycle — to fill seven First Sergeant Academy classes across the fiscal year.
No longer on the DSD list, the new hiring process will simply be known as the First Sergeant Assignments Program. According to Chief Master Sgt. Manny Pineiro, Headquarters Air Force first sergeant special duty manager, this change reinforces the critical role of first sergeants to ensure the well-being of Airmen and their families and represent the enlisted corps and the Air Force by leading and mentoring their units.
“The Air Force has identified the first sergeant as a key leader serving in a time-honored special duty position — rich in custom and tradition — due to the unique leadership role and the responsibility to mentor and develop Airmen,” Pineiro said. “First sergeants are a dedicated focal point for all readiness, health, morale, welfare and quality-of-life issues within their organizations.”
Most first sergeant positions will be filled through the volunteer, nomination and selection process. Short tour positions will be advertised and filled via EQUAL-Plus ads while local positions will make use of volunteers and nominees for no-cost or low-cost moves.
The rank requirement for initial selection to a first sergeant special duty position is one year time-in-grade as a master sergeant prior to nomination. For more information about the first sergeant hiring process, visit myPers and search “first sergeant.”
For more information about Air Force personnel programs, visit AFPC’s public website at http://www.afpc.af.mil/.AFWN 



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