The U.S. Air Force is changing in-residence intermediate and senior developmental education for active-duty service members as part of a broader policy review, according to a Tuesday announcement.
The updates include revisions to the eligibility windows, declination policy, family separation housing allowance and school selection, according to the statement.
“These are the most recent changes as part of an on-going comprehensive review designed to align policies with the strategic vision for a modernized Air Force and enhanced airpower education,” the memo reads.
For both intermediate and senior developmental education, service members’ eligibility windows are to be extended by one year, the memo states, with adjustments to the eligibility timeline to support the “right time” for attendance and provide more flexibility for units and officers.
Under the new guidance, intermediate-level officers are eligible one year earlier, while senior-level officers are eligible one year later, according to the statement.
To help alleviate the financial burden of separate households for eligible members, the Air Force is aligning its revisions with recent financial management regulation adjustments and policy updates earlier this year, the statement says.
Service members may be eligible for family separation housing allowances if all the dependents do not accompany the member, according to the announcement.
Officers who decline their school match will lose their remaining window of eligibility at that level, but they will maintain the ability to opt in for consideration, the announcement says.
Time-on-station and operational deferment requirements will be “strictly adhered to,” the announcement continues.
Additionally, school selection announcements will take place in late June instead of August to better align with the officer assignment process and support the service members and their units, per the statement.
“These changes serve to mitigate disruptions to operational units and improve the experience for alternate candidates and their families,” the memo states.
Intermediate programs are open to airmen at major or major select ranks, and senior raters can nominate airmen at the ranks of lieutenant colonel, colonel and lieutenant colonel select for senior development programs, according to a September 2023 Air Force memo.
The September memo states that airmen can attend traditional Air Force schools, such as Air Command and Staff College and Air War College, or they can compete for spots in sister service, joint, NATO, international military schools or others.
Professional military education courses offered by the Air Force have undergone changes in recent years to foster leadership and bolster the service’s standards.
For example, in September 2023, the force announced that beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, more “top-rate” officers would be vectored and designated to Air University in-residence IDE/SDE.
This change was meant to ensure the Air Force had enough officers able to understand and integrate air power in leadership roles to meet the “strategic and pacing challenges” facing the U.S., according to the 2023 memo.
“To ensure deep airpower expertise is available to joint commands, it is essential we send officers with diverse professional backgrounds and experiences, and with the potential to be senior leaders in our Air Force, to our own in-residence programs,” then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown said in the 2023 memo.
Cristina Stassis is an editorial fellow for Defense News and Military Times, where she covers stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She is currently studying journalism and mass communication and international affairs at the George Washington University.
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