Some Airmen will get longer overseas assignments

Extension of 12 months applied to certain Airmen and Guardians
Airmen with the 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit prepare to load a training AIM-9X, a short-range air-to-air missile, onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon during the annual weapons load competition at Misawa Air Base, Japan Jan. 20, 2021. Expert weapons technicians evaluate participants from both teams on various aspects such as safety, accuracy, tool accountability and dress and appearance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Grace Nichols)

Airmen with the 14th Aircraft Maintenance Unit prepare to load a training AIM-9X, a short-range air-to-air missile, onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon during the annual weapons load competition at Misawa Air Base, Japan Jan. 20, 2021. Expert weapons technicians evaluate participants from both teams on various aspects such as safety, accuracy, tool accountability and dress and appearance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Grace Nichols)
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Feb 12, 2021
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Beginning March 1, Airmen and Space Force Guardians will see certain overseas assignments extend to three years from two for first-term permanent tours at some overseas locations, the Air Force said Thursday.

Airmen and Guardians without family members, both enlisted and officers, who are on their first permanent duty assignment will serve 36 months at several locations in the Pacific and Europe.

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The idea is to provide overseas units with more time to train and develop service members, the Air Force said.

Affected locations include: RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom; RAF Lakenheath, U.K.;  RAF Alconbury, U.K.; RAF Croughton, U.K.; London, Menwith Hill, U.K.; Fairford, U.K.; Welford, U.K.; Molesworth, U.K.; Aviano Air Base, Italy; Stavenger AB, Norway; Ramstein AB, Germany; Kaiserslautern, Germany; Sembach, Germany; Vogelweh, Germany; Landstuhl, Germany; Kapaun, Germany; Einsiedlerhof, Germany; Spangdahlem AB, Germany; Kadena AB, Japan; Misawa AB, Japan; and Yokota AB, Japan.

An unaccompanied overseas tour is a tour served overseas without command-sponsored dependents when dependents are authorized at that location, the Air Force noted.

”During these moves, service members not only have to adjust to their new jobs, but also to a new culture and country, which takes time,” Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said in the Air Force announcement.

“A 24-month tour was not adequate for our new Airmen and Guardians to thrive, nor was it enough time to provide the continuity needed for the unit. The change was made to support the mission and to ensure our members receive a longer transitional period,” he added.”

Officials will inform affected members of the new 36-month tour length during initial assignment briefings.

This policy does not apply to retrainees, crossflows and prior service members who receive a commission, the Air Force also said.

The overseas tour lengths for accompanied service members remain the same, 36 or 48 months, depending on the tour type.

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Thomas Gnau is a business reporter who joined the Dayton Daily News in 2007. He has reported for daily newspapers in Ohio since 1991.