BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Headquarters Air Reserve Personnel Center, recently hosted a Space Force Transfer Board as Space Professionals shaped the future of the Space Force. Guard and Reserve records were not considered, pending decisions on organization of reserve components for the Space Force.
Five ARPC members facilitated the board consisting of 15 Space Professionals as they evaluated more than 2,300 personnel records of enlisted Airmen from the intelligence and cyber operations career fields.
Active duty members in the grades of E-5 thru E-7 were provided an opportunity to volunteer to meet the board by submitting a package endorsed by their commander. Board members evaluated the submissions by taking into account the whole Airman concept, opportunities for career progression and ability to serve in Space Force positions.
Rankings created by the board members were submitted to the Air Force Personnel Center for further evaluation by their analysts before selecting the next members of the Space Force.
In addition to shaping the future of the Space Force, the Space Transfer Board provided an opportunity for ARPC personnel to assist AFPC in their efforts while following guidance to protect board members and staff from the COVID-19 virus.
Due to system requirements to host the board, members were required to meet in person while following social distancing guidelines. Three board members were assigned to each panel usually reserved for five members to allow for distancing. Masks were worn at all times in the board room, hand sanitizer was required to be used before entering the board rooms and any surface area members came in contact with were sanitized twice a day.
According to Lt. Col. Kristi Delcour, Chief of Promotion Board Operations, successfully hosting the board in this environment was a testament to the professionalism and dedication of the members of the Selection Board Secretariat.
“By taking on an active-duty board and doing it seamlessly, it shows that we are truly a total force organization,” Delcour said. “It was a valuable learning experience for us to see how the Space Force will be built, and we took advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to provide the same level of service as our active-duty counterparts. At the end of the day, we are proud knowing our efforts are assisting in the establishment of the Space Force.”
Delcour and her team also took away some practices that can be used in future boards for the AF Reserve and Air National Guard. Due to travel restrictions and quarantine requirements some members of the transfer board had to brief board members remotely during the initial stages. This was a first for the team at ARPC as they have never utilized CVR Teams for board operations in the past.
“The lessons learned from conducting part of the Space Force Transfer board virtually will be applied towards how we execute all future Reserve Brigadier General Qualification Boards,” Delcour said. “While officer promotion boards will continue to be held in person due to by-law requirements that must be met, we are exploring the possibility of conducting smaller boards virtually.”
As members of ARPC continue to conduct operations in the current environment, finding innovative solutions and ensuring the safety of all of their members will remain the top priority. The next promotion board is scheduled for late January as ARPC will be hosting a panel to select the next group of majors for the AF Reserve.