Transformation of logistics career field - Career Personnel Information

Air Force Journal of Logistics, Fall, 2003 by Adam J. Shirriff

The Chief's Logistics Review was the catalyst for transformation of the logistics career fields. Specifically, the impetus for refocusing the career fields was the need to develop a greater depth of understanding within logistics core competencies such as aircraft maintenance and munitions. In addition, there was a desire to develop a core of officers who understand the full scope of home-station employments and sustainment and deployment, beddown, and sustainment at contingency locations. A range of processes--receiving, storing, and issuing parts; flight-line operations; and managing the deployment and reemployment phases of an aerospace expeditionary force--was affected by the career-field transformation.

Officers who held the 21S (Supply), 21T (Transportation), and 21G (Logistics Plans) designation had their Air Force specialty code (AFSC) retired and, effective 1 November 2002, replaced by the 21R AFSC. Officers who hold the new 21R designation are known as logistics readiness officers (LRO). The Aircraft Maintenance (21A) and Munitions and Missile Maintenance (21M) career-field AFSC remains the same at the company grade level. However, at the field grade level, aircraft and munitions officers share the duty AFSC of 21B and are referred to as maintenance officers.

The 21L duty AFSC also has been retired. All 21L duty AFSCs now need to be classified as either 21R or 21B. Therefore, if a billet is coded as 21B, it requires either an aircraft maintenance or a munitions officer. Conversely, if a billet is coded as 21R, it requires the skill sets of a logistics readiness officer.

The LRO career field can be divided into various population groups. Knowing which group an officer belongs to determines the professional experience and education an officer needs to maintain currency in the new career field. One LRO group is the accession population, which consists of officers who attended the technical training course beginning in July 2002. Another LRO group is the roundout population, those who have attended a stovepiped technical training course (core Supply, Transportation, or Logistics Plans). The LRO field-grade population (to include those selected for promotion to major with the October 2002 board results) is classified as the grandfathered population.

To facilitate the professional development of a logistics readiness officer, the Career Field Education and Training Plan (CFETP) was developed, focusing on the key tasks of the three core logistics competencies: materiel management, distribution, and contingency operations. In addition, six new special experience identifiers (SEI) were created to track an officer's progress as experience was gained in the three core logistics competencies. The six SEIs are Materiel Management (KW), Fuels Management (KY), Vehicle Management (KV), Aerial Port Operations (KT), Contingency Operations (KX), and Distribution Management (KU). (1) A logistics readiness officer can earn an SEI by successfully performing the associated key tasks, as identified in the CFETP, for a minimum of 12 months. The squadron commander certifies the officer completed the required key tasks and spent 12 months in the job. The group commander is the approving authority for the SEI. As a side note, officers with prior enlisted experience who achieved a 7 level in Supply, Transportation, or Logistics Plans can qualify for an SEI, thereby earning a core competency. The squadron commander validates the experience level. In addition, the newly created position of operations officer can qualify for credit. The particular credit needs to be validated using the core task listing associated with the SEI in the CFETP training matrix.

The number of logistics core competencies a logistics readiness officer needs to earn depends on the particular population group to which the logistics readiness officer belongs. Accession officers have 6 years to gain experience in each of the three logistics core competencies. Roundout officers were temporarily awarded the fully qualified AFSC and have until November 2005 to gain experience in one additional logistics core competency to retain the fully qualified AFSC. Grandfathered logistics readiness officers are exempt from the training requirements for logistics core competencies. If a logistics readiness officer is unable to earn the required number of logistics core competencies in the specified timeframe, an extension can be requested from the career-field manager at the Air Staff. For further information on the three logistics core competencies, six SEIs, and corresponding tasks, log onto the Air Force Installations and Logistics Web site (https:// www.il.hq.af.mil/) and proceed to the Planning, Doctrine, and Wargames Division link.

Exportable correspondence modules in Supply, Fuels, Transportation, and Logistics Plans have been created to complement the experience portion of a logistics readiness officer. Again, certain population groups of logistics readiness officers are affected differently by this education requirement. The accession group is exempt from taking the exportable modules. A logistics readiness officer in the roundout population has to complete the exportable modules in areas where there is no traditional stovepiped schooling. For example, a former 21T transportation officer will need to complete all the exportable modules except transportation. Using another illustration, a former 21S supply officer, who also earned the previous fuels special experience identifier, only will need to complete the transportation and logistics plans exportable modules. The grandfathered population is exempt from having to complete the exportable modules, but they are encouraged to explore what they have to offer. The time line to have these modules completed is November 2004. Officers may enroll in correspondence courses at the base education office.