KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea -- The Air Force has identified 1,175 positions across 10 developmental special duties, or DSDs, for spring 2017.
Identified as developmental due to their unique leadership roles and the responsibility to mentor and mold young Airmen, the 10 duties are: career assistance advisor, military training instructor, military training leader, Air Force Academy military training instructor, Airman and Family Readiness Center NCO, first sergeant, Air Force Honor Guard NCO, recruiter, professional military education instructor and specialty training instructors identified with a “T” prefix.
Commanders are encouraged to nominate any Airman in the rank of staff, technical and master sergeant they feel is the right fit for these critical duties. Nominees must have demonstrated a record of exceptional performance and a high capacity to lead.
“Squadron commanders and unit leaders know their people the best,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Vogan, 8th Fighter Wing career assistance advisor. “After interacting with their Airmen on a daily basis, they know who would fit the DSD role the best and who should be vectored to fill those leadership positions.”
The nomination process provides commanders, through their respective major commands, an opportunity to nominate their best Airmen to fill these critical positions, providing a developmental career path.
To be considered for a DSD nomination, Airmen must be staff, technical or master sergeants with at least four years of service remaining before they reach their high year of tenure. They require a score of 90 or above on the last fitness test, or 80 or above on the last two tests.
In addition, nominees must have exhibited excellence in their core career field with a skill level commensurate with their grade, and have a performance assessment rating of either of the top two ratings under the new rating system or an overall “5” under the previous rating system on their last three enlisted performance reports.
The DSD nomination process truly begins at the unit level.
“Serving in a DSD is very rewarding experience,” said Vogan. “It allows individuals to give back to the Air Force and I think what makes the DSD program so great is that unit commanders identify their best and brightest, and those individuals go forward and do great things for our Air Force.”
Airmen who are not nominated for DSD, but still interested in career-developing opportunities, can go to the Enlisted Quarterly Assignment Listing-Plus website and review the special duty catalog.
Airmen who are nominated for a developmental duty, but are not selected, remain eligible for selection until the end of each DSD cycle, in the event of future openings.
DSD qualifications are outlined in the special duty catalog. Additional information about specific rank requirements, nomination eligibility criteria, process and other specifics can be found on myPers under Special Duty Assignment Programs on the Active Duty: Enlisted Assignments Home Page or select “Active Duty Enlisted” from the dropdown menu and search “DSD.”
For more information about Air Force personnel programs, go to myPers. Individuals who do not have a myPers account can request one by following these instructions.
NOTE: This article was localized by Kunsan Air Base Public Affairs
Original article was produced by Kat Bailey, Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs