Cancellation of the 2008 force shaping board

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Abigail Klein
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Ellsworth lieutenants eligible for 2008 force shaping will no longer have to face the force shaping board March 31.

The Secretary of the Air Force decided Jan. 29, that the board was no longer necessary for the fiscal year 2008 after reviewing information from Air Force Personnel Center officials.

Though there were 764 qualified lieutenants from the 2005 commisioned group, including three lieutenants from Ellsworth, 58 voluntary separation packages from qualified officers have allowed the Air Force to meet its annual goal, said Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III, the deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services in a Air Force Link article on Jan. 30.

The number of voluntary separations has eradicated the need for the force shaping boards to review other officers with qualifying dates of separation, General Newton said.
"We will continue to monitor our end-strength goals to ensure a balanced force, and we may elect to use force shaping boards in the future if we need to, but our other programs are meeting our goals for this fiscal year," said General Newton.

However, the cancellation of the boards is not necessarily permanent.

"The boards can return, depending on Air Force manning in the future. Other boards will be decided by the Secretary of the Air Force," said Maj. Jeffrey Rosa 28th Mission Support Squadron military personnel flight commander.

The March board would have considered active-duty officers in career fields with overages. Those officers who qualified for the board are still able to apply for separation for the limited active duty service commitment or the voluntary separation pay program as long as they meet all requirements of the 2008 fiscal message.

The lieutenants who submitted a separation application, without receiving an approval date for separation, are able to withdraw their previous separation requests.

However, members eligible for the force shaping board with approved separation dates are required to obtain mission justification and wing commander approval to apply for complete withdrawal.

The cancellation of the boards also nullifies previous restrictions on deployment and temporary duty assignments for board eligible officers.

Ellsworth lieutenants eligible for the force shaping board are advised to contact the AFPC Contact Center at (800)-616-3775 for any questions or concerns they may have.