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Sather Pathfinder / Dec. 17, 2005Page 3AIR FORCE PERSONNEL NEWSFORCETSP announces enrollmentchanges for 2006RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas— Effective in 2006, civilian and militaryemployees are no longer subject to apercentage limit on the amount they maycontribute to a regular Thrift Savings Planaccount.They may contribute the full amountallowed by the Internal Revenue Serviceannual elective deferral limit, which is 15,000 for 2006.“TSP is a long-term retirement savingsplan, which everyone should consider,” saidJanet Thomas, human resources specialist atthe Air Force Personnel Center. “It’s a greatsupplement to military and civilianretirement plans.”Investing in TSP is not limited to stocks.People can choose safer governmentsecurities or invest in the new LifecycleFunds.Open seasons were eliminated July 1,2005, so employees may start, change, stopor resume their TSP contributions at anytime (except those in the 6-month noncontribution period following a financialhardship in-service withdrawal).TSP offers investors the chance for lowertaxes each year they contribute while nothaving to pay taxes on earnings until theyreach retirement.Eligible employees can take out loans,make in-service withdrawals from their TSPaccounts, and keep their account even ifthey leave military or federal civilianservice.Investment money is deposited directlyfrom each paycheck “so you never have tothink about it,” said Ms. Thomas. “Thatmakes it easy to ‘pay yourself first’ whileonly investing what you deem appropriate.“As with any individual retirementaccount, the sooner you begin contributing,the better,” said Ms. Thomas.Some of the specifics of the programinclude:— Effective in 2006, military members cancontribute any whole percentage of theirbase pay, as long as the annual total of taxdeferred investment doesn’t exceed 15,000for 2006. Airmen also have the ability toinvest all or part of their bonuses, specialpay or incentive pay, as long as the membercontributes from basic pay. Members mayenroll in December, however, requestedactions will not update until Jan. 1.— Those serving in tax-free combat zonesare allowed up to 44,000 in annualcontributions.For general TSP questions, call the AirForce Personnel Contact Center at (800)616-3775. Specific TSP information isavailable for Air Force militarypersonnel at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/mpf/TSP/thrift savings plan.htm.Specific information is available forcivilian employees on the Thrift SavingsPlan web site at http://www.tsp.gov/ and theBEST homepage at More information about the Thrift SavingsPlan can be found in the booklet “Summaryof the Thrift Savings Plan” on the TSPhome page under civilian or uniformedservices TSP Forms and Publications.Joint enlisted PME becomesrealityWASHINGTON (AFPN) — The enlistedforce will now have the same opportunityas the officer corps to receive jointprofessional military education throughouttheir careers.“Senior leadership across the (defense)department and services know the backboneof the military is the enlisted corps, andthey must be properly educated in the jointenvironment for the nation to besuccessful,” said Army Command Sgt. Maj.William Joseph Gainey.The command sergeant major is the seniorenlisted advisor to the chairman of the JointChiefs of Staff.“Senior leaders rely on the senior enlistedleadership to take care of enlistedservicemembers,” he said. “Enlisted jointPME is a priority for all leaders that needsto be done now, because waiting isn’t anoption.”The new policy calls for the services toincorporate joint topics into existingenlisted PME programs, and alsoestablishes two chairman-sponsored jointPME programs for enlisted membersassigned or slated for joint billets.“While not mandated by law, as is the casefor officers, this policy is a recognition thatoperating in joint, interagency,multinational and coalition warfightingorganizations and staffs requires that jointlearning objectives must be made availableto all enlisted personnel,” said Army Col.Lawrence Smith, chief of the JointEducation Branch at J-7 Operational Plansand Joint Force Development at Joint Staff.The aim is to ensure the policy put intoplace will help the armed forces continuallytransform to meet the uncertain future andthe unfolding challenges of the 21stcentury.He said the goal is to expand future seniorenlisted leaders’ knowledge of individual,service and joint core competencies, whilebroadening their understanding of theuncertain strategic and operationalrequirements.“Senior enlisted leaders of the future mustbe well versed in both the art and science ofjoint operations,” the colonel said. He notedthat a “joint” context will be embedded intoexisting PME courses for all the services.Smith said the working group had to lookat the existing PME programs and breakthem into logical educational levels:-Introductory, for E-1 through E-3.-Primary, for E-4 through E-6.-Intermediate, for E-7 (E-6 for the MarineCorps).-Senior, for E-8 and E-9.-Executive, for E-9 command seniorenlisted leaders serving as SEL slots ingeneral- or flag-officer-led organizations.Then the group incorporated relevant jointtopics into the respective systems todevelop future leaders. The consensus wasto include two educational levels that spanan enlisted member’s career and apply toall. A third educational level applies tosenior enlisted members assigned to jointbillets.The first phase addresses progressiveguidelines for completion by E-6s. Learningareas will include national militarycapabilities and organization, and an armedforces overview. Knowledge will beacquired through formal schooling, jobaids, promotion guides and Web-basedcourses.Career enlisted joint PME for E-7s andabove, or E-6s and above in the MarineCorps, will build on basic skills andincorporate foundations of joint operationsand a national security overview.Continued next page:PME

Sather Pathfinder / Dec. 17, 2005Page 4AIR FORCE NEWSFORCEPMEFrom page 4:Senior enlisted joint PME will have two chairman-sponsored,assignment-oriented educational opportunities beginning with thesenior enlisted leaders.The first is a senior enlisted joint PME stand-alone Web-basedcourse for those slated to serve or currently serving in jointorganizations. This education consists of the same learning areasas the career enlisted joint PME, but provides more in-depthlearning objectives applicable to severing in a joint organizationand environment.The second tier of the senior enlisted joint PME course is theKeystone course that will prepare command-level SELs forservice in a flag- or general-officer joint headquarters. Keystoneemphasizes national military capabilities and organization; jointdoctrine; service, joint, interagency and multinational capabilities;and defense acquisition and resourcing.The first Keystone course is scheduled for February at theNational Defense University, with a short stint at the U.S. JointForces Command Joint Warfighting Center in Suffolk, Va.Command Sergeant Major Gainey said now that the policy is inplace, it is up to the services to educate their enlisted force forjoint challenges.“With the chairman signing the policy, the challenge is up to theservices to get EJPME done for our enlisted force,” he said.“What we don’t want to do is rush to failure. (We should) spendenough time to get it done right, because this will affect the nextsenior enlisted leaders for the services,” the command sergeantmajor said. “We owe it to our young folks to educate and trainthem right, because pride is contagious.”CMSAF discusses future at enlisted callBy Michael Briggs12th Flying Training Wing Public AffairsRANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) — It was fittingChief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Gerald Murray wore the AirForce utility uniform of tomorrow when addressing about 700Airmen at an enlisted call here.Most of what the chief talked about at the base theater Dec. 6focused on the future. That was also the purpose of his visit to theAir Force Personnel Center this week.Chief Murray discussed Airmen assignments. He said the AirForce is getting “the right Airmen in the right place at the righttime— while continuing to manage our most precious resource:you, our people.”He also discussed how the Air Force can continue to developAirmen to their fullest potential through the different stages oftheir careers, and how to tie developmental assignments to thoseleadership levels in the future.“As we look to the future, we want to make sure we have an AirForce that is giving you the opportunities as individual Airmen torealize your potential and, more importantly, how you as Airmencan increase the capabilities of this force,” he said.He said the goal for force development is to determine how tobest use the talents, skills, education and experience of Airmen intheir contributions to the overall mission.Tying future assignments and force development together followschanges in Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted ForceStructure, revised about a year ago. Tactical, operational andstrategic leadership and developmental levels were included in therevision.The instruction also provides more detail about noncommissionedofficer and senior NCO responsibilities, describes special seniorNCO positions and covers standardized duty titles.Asked about enlisted force development, Chief Murrayencouraged all Airmen to become familiar with the revisedinstruction.“It’s the foundation of our enlisted force development,” he said.“And (it) has been since it was written in 1972 as the old(regulation) 39-6.”He said the future of force development must include every aspectof an enlisted person’s career in a continuum that follows an Airmanthrough basic training, technical training, professional militaryeducation, on-the-job training, career development courses,promotions and assignments, while tying those things to tactical,operational and strategic levels of leadership at appropriate times.The Air Force has taken steps in this regard by revising basictraining and developing professional military education for chiefmaster sergeants, for example. Chief Murray said other initiativesunder study will follow, such as perhaps providing more frequentPME during a person’s career.Another aspect of the force development cycle still being looked atis how assignments will be tied to the process. The chief said careerfield managers have been asked to study the assignments withintheir specialties to determine which ones might be considered“developmental” and at what stage of a career a person shouldperform those duties.Of the prototype utility uniform he wore, the chief said the AirForce is close to finishing a three-year process that determined thebest pattern, material, fit and function of the uniform. It will replacethe woodland battle dress uniform most Airmen wear as their homestation utility uniform.Chief Murray said the gray, slate blue, tan and brown-patternedprototype he was wearing had ousted the mainly blue prototype firstwear-tested about two years ago. The audience reacted favorably tothat news.Many women in the crowd cheered loudly when he said the newuniform would be manufactured in both male and female cuts.“It truly is permanent-press and wash-and-wear,” Chief Murraysaid. “It needs no ironing whatsoever.”He said the new boots are fuel and stain-resistant and can becleaned and maintained with a simple brushing.“We want you to be able to spend less time on your uniform,” hesaid. “We want you to have a good-looking utility uniform that fitsyou well, is easy to maintain and costs you less money to maintain. Ithink that’s what you’re going to have.”He said small utility pockets may be added to a lower leg and wristarea of a sleeve as final design adjustments based on feedback fromwear tests. And he said the uniform may be manufactured for wearin late 2006 or early 2007.

Sather Pathfinder / Dec. 17, 2005Page 5AIR FORCE NEWSFORCEAir Force releases newmission statementThunderbirds need volunteersBy Master Sgt. Mitch GettleNELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. —The United States Air ForceAir Demonstration Squadron is looking for professionals to join anelite team known world-wide for precision flying and communityinvolvement.Volunteers are needed in eight career fields.“The Thunderbirds have more than 34 career fields represented inthe squadron,” said Chief Master Sgt. Ted Field, chief enlistedmanager of the Thunderbirds. “We have a job for just abouteveryone out there.”The Air Force Specialty Codes needed are 2A3X2 Avionics,2A3X3B Crew Chief, 2A6X3 Egress, 2A6X4 Fuels, 2A6X6Electro/Environmental, 2A7X3 Structures, 3N0X1 Public Affairs,3V0X1 Graphic Artist and 8F000 First Sergeant.For information on the application process, visitwww.airforce.com/thunderbirds.“Even if (a) career field is not listed, we are acceptingapplications,” Chief Field said. “Anyone can submit an applicationfor a job in one of the (34) career fields we have. We’ll keep theapplication on file for six months, and if a job comes open we willlook at the applications we have and we’ll try to fill them withthose.”One of the common misconceptions about the Thunderbirds is theteam is gone all the time.“We do travel across the United States and in some

The answers are normally the same: Not . The command sergeant major is the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “Senior leaders rely on the senior enlisted leadership to take care of enlisted servicemembers,” he said. “Enlisted joint PME is a priority for all leaders that needs