Senior Service School Timing for Air Force Officers: A Cultural Change.

Abstract

Initial study of the relationship of in-residence Air War College (AWC) completion to promotion success was accomplished in 1975, and subsequently updated in 1984. The focus of this study is to revalidate the promotion trend cited in the 1984 study and to examine the importance of attendance timing for Air Force officers to Senior Service School (SSS). Sources used in preparation of this study includes officer cohort and promotion files for 1984-1995, as well as a review of officer utilization policy from the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC), Headquarters USAF, the Office for Colonel Matters, and AWC. Personal interviews and surveys were used to glean current issues, concerns, and recommendations from senior leaders and major command (MAJCOM) personnel officers throughout the Air Force. Analysis of promotion statistics concludes that while the promotion rates among the Senior Service Schools are not at parity, they have leveled somewhat from the analysis done in the 1984 study. Additionally, this study discusses the current trend of sending more junior lieutenant colonels to SSS shortly after ISS completion and before they have had the opportunity to gain valuable leadership experience. These officers, their classmates, and the Air Force would be better served by modifying the SSS selection process to facilitate in-residence attendance later in an officer's career without negatively affecting promotion opportunities. The study recommends changes to the selection process and strives to foster a cultural change within the Air Force to ensure SSS is viewed as a tool for developing future leaders and not as a square to be filled for promotion to colonel. The study has a direct impact on the management of senior officer development and utilization in the Air Force for the remainder of this century and into the next.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1996
Accession Number
ADA331576

Entities

People

  • Dennis J. Degraff
  • Francine Blackmon
  • Paul E. Smith
  • Rebecca P. Gardner

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Personnel
  • Curriculum
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Instructions
  • International Relations
  • Military Education
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Science
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Professional Development
  • Security
  • Students
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Education

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Military Leadership and Professional Education.
  • Military Mobilization and Reserve Forces Studies.