TRICARE beneficiaries will soon have increased access to healthcare through key changes that are set to take place in January 2018. With the benefit set to undergo some of the biggest improvements in more than two decades, beneficiaries will be able to take command of their healthcare through expanded choices. These improvements include wider access to network providers, updated enrollment to reduce disruptions in care, and simplified co-payments.

The Defense Health Agency recently met a key requirement for implementing these changes, with the publication of a formal document -- called an Interim Final Rule -- that establishes the legal "rules of the road" for putting in place changes mandated by Congress. The Interim Final Rule is now available for public review and comment.

"We are working hard to use the opportunity Congress gave us to continue building a health plan that does even better for our beneficiaries, the warfighter, and the taxpayers who support us," said Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, director of Defense Health Agency.

The goal of this change is to keep beneficiaries healthy by providing better healthcare options. This includes allowing doctors to make the decisions on whether beneficiaries need a referral or specialty care instead of the regional contractors. Urgent care will be available without a referral through either the military hospital or clinic or at a civilian urgent care center in areas the military health facility is not an option.

TRICARE is changing. Here is what beneficiaries need to know: Some of the key changes that will become effective Jan. 1, 2018, will affect region consolidation, TRICARE plans, enrollment and costs. There are currently three TRICARE regions in the United States, including TRICARE North, South and West. Starting in 2018, these regions will become TRICARE East and West. They will be administered by Humana Military and Health Net Federal Services. This change will allow for better coordination between the military hospitals and clinics and the civilian healthcare providers in each region.

Several changes will also occur in coverage plans at the start of the new year. TRICARE Select will replace TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra. In the U.S., TRICARE Select will be a self-managed, preferred provider network option. Beneficiaries will not be required to have a primary care manager and can visit any TRICARE-authorized provider for covered services without a referral. Overseas, TRICARE Overseas Select will provide access to both network and non-network TRICARE authorized providers for medically necessary covered services. TRICARE Select, both stateside and overseas, includes additional preventive care services previously only offered to TRICARE Prime beneficiaries. Beneficiaries can review all available plans at tricare.mil/changes under the plan finder.

Starting Jan. 1, 2018, all current beneficiaries will also be automatically transitioned into their respective plan as long as they are eligible. TRICARE Prime enrollees will remain in this plan. TRICARE Standard and Extra beneficiaries will be converted to TRICARE Select. Beneficiaries will be able to choose to enroll in or change coverage plans throughout the year-long grace period in 2018.

Beginning in fall 2018, enrollment will move to a calendar year open enrollment season like federal employee plans. During this time, active enrollment will be required to change plans for the following year. Those who are retiring will have to choose their plan and enroll to retain coverage. The open enrollment season begins on the Monday of the second full week in November and runs through the Monday of the second full week in December of each calendar year starting in 2018. All beneficiaries should make sure their information is current in DEERS now so they are converted to the correct plan in January.

Beneficiaries will shift to a copayment structure from the current cost-share structure also starting Jan. 1, 2018. With fixed costs for specific services, beneficiaries will be able to better predict their healthcare costs. Updated out-of-pocket costs for 2018 will be available at tricare.mil/changes.

While the upcoming changes are significant, the goal of the Military Health System is to continuously improve healthcare for all its beneficiaries. Beneficiaries can prepare for the upcoming changes by visiting the TRICARE Changes page, where they can sign up for email alerts, complete a beneficiary checklist, and see available plans and updated costs for 2018.

"This marks a major milestone in our effort," said Bono. "It highlights the opportunity for our beneficiaries to take command of their health plan, and our responsibility to ensure that these historic changes to TRICARE are a success for beneficiaries and the Department."

Today's American airmen do the impossible every day. They pursue their mission with excellence and integrity to become leaders and warriors, providing help to a world in need. However, even airmen need help at times, especially if an acute problem occurs with a family member.

The Humanitarian Reassignment and Deferment Program, run by the Air Force Personnel Center, assists active-duty airmen in resolving severe, short-term problems involving a family member while airmen continue to meet the needs of the Air Force.

"The spirit and intent of the program is to place the airman at the closest location to where the problem exists," said Kimberly Schuler, Humanitarian Assignment Policy chief. "Typically, a reassignment or deferment is a one-time action to resolve a critical problem with a family member within a reasonable period of time, normally twelve months."

The definition of "family member" for the Humanitarian Program is limited to spouse; child; parents, to include in-laws, and stepparents; person in loco parentis; or other persons actually residing in the household who are dependent on the airman for more than half of their financial support.

"We often get asked about siblings," Schuler said. "That's always a tough one because siblings aren't within the scope of the definition of ‘family member.' However, if the sibling is terminally ill, we'll look at the request as an exception to policy."

In a case that requires a long-term solution, an airman would have to look at other options, she said.

"The Humanitarian Program is a temporary solution to a short-term problem and the Air Force is unable to consider a permanent or prolonged deferment."

The comptroller general has ruled that the Air Force cannot make moves at government expense based solely on humanitarian reasons. The reassignment or deferment must be to meet Air Force mission needs in addition to helping the airman. Therefore, a valid vacancy must exist at the gaining base and the airman must meet retainability requirements for a permanent change of station.

Schuler's team in AFPC's Military Assignment Programs Branch, along with a team of six case managers in the Assignment Support Section and 11 Total Force Service Center Assignment technicians, processes approximately 1,000 requests annually to expedite assistance to airmen in need.

Humanitarian reassignment or deferment is not limited to a single reason. Circumstances can include the terminal illness of a family member, the death of an airman's spouse or child, the sexual assault of the airman's spouse or child, or issues involving a serious financial impact such as the loss of property through fire or natural disaster.

"The reason doesn't have to fit into a box," Schuler said.

In each situation, the AFPC Medical Review Board or the AFPC Administrative Law Office reviews requests for verification of clinical data submitted with an application or for the verification of legal documentation. Careful consideration goes into the adjudication of each request, as these airmen are normally in a crisis and deserve the most compassionate eyes possible on their situation.

"It's not just personnelists making the decision," Schuler said. "It's a whole system of checks and balances. The entire team looks at the whole-person concept. We look at each situation as if we were in that airman's shoes and view the circumstances with empathy and kindness."

Missing documentation can delay the process, which is normally about two to four weeks. Schuler said the more supporting documentation the airman can provide about every aspect of the situation, the better, as it paints a clearer picture of the scope of the problem. Burden of proof is on the member to prove that their situation is more than what an average airman is going through.

"Everyone has a tipping point, so we weigh everything -- everything -- happening in that airman's life to determine the best course of action," she said.

Currently, 2,916 airmen are directly benefiting from humanitarian assignments at bases across the Air Force. However, if the airman's application does not meet the threshold for an approval under the Humanitarian Program, the case managers take the extra step to research if the airman may be eligible for another alternative assignment option.

"Perhaps the airman can apply for a Base of Preference or a follow-on assignment," Schuler said. "Or maybe they don't meet the requirements right now, but if something changes, they can reapply. We try to manage their expectations and provide resources instead of just simply saying, ‘Denied.'"

Schuler's team is also working on improvements to the application process to make it more intuitive. Two efficiencies they would like to implement include a "delivery" status bar, visible to customers in the virtual Military Personnel Flight, and a defined set of statuses with detailed explanations of the application process.

To help airmen navigate those resources, Schuler's team hosts recurring webcasts on the Humanitarian Reassignment and Deferment Program. The next webinar for all airmen is scheduled for Sept. 27 at 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Central Daylight Time.

Additionally, airmen can chat with a personnel specialist live on myPers about the humanitarian program between the hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT. To access the chat feature, click on the Humanitarian/EFMP link under "Assignment Programs" on the active-duty myPers Assignment landing page, hover the mouse cursor for 30 seconds and a chat window will appear.

For more information about Air Force personnel programs, visit myPers. Individuals who do not have a myPers account can request one by following the instructions on the Air Force's Personnel Center website.

Beginning Oct. 1, a new data field will be added to the Air Reserve Orders Writing System that will be used primarily to track military personnel appropriation and other orders for operational requirements.

This new field will be called Air Reserve Component Operational Requirements Tracker, or ARCORT. The only orders required to have an ARCORT number will be the following Title 10 activations: full or partial mobilizations, presidential recalls, and voluntary (contingency and non-contingency) activations.

For these orders, the ARCORT number should be easy to find as it will be in the Manpower MPA Man-Day Management System, known as M4S, and generated on the Air Force Form 49, Application for MPA Man-Day Tour, when the orders are finalized. If in an email notification the ARCORT number is not included, air reserve component members can ask their orders-generating office for the form, and it will have it.

The number is part of the change to a mission or operational requirements focused way of documenting and resourcing air reserve component utilization for Air Force missions. This change is directed by a program guidance letter issued by the Air Force chief of staff to improve the service's visibility on operational requirements.

The new ARCORT data field for AROWS will link requirement documentation to requirement execution, providing the Air Force visibility over ARC operational utilization.

This shift to an operational requirements focused strategy for ARC utilization has been led by Maj. Gen. Vincent Mancuso, mobilization assistant to the Air Force chief of staff.

"Just like you might use the memo field on a personal check to create sub-totals of personal expenses, ARCORT will allow the director of operations to maintain visibility of the operational execution on various mission areas," Mancuso said.

"The intent of putting the ARCORT number in AROWS is to track all operational uses of ARC members, regardless of the type of man-day resource used," he said. "If you are performing duty on another type of order that qualifies as operational use, your unit's POC for the tasking or mission should be able to provide a specific ARCORT number. If you know the mission is an operational contribution and you don't know the ARCORT number, you can just put 9999999 in the ARCORT field."

Mancuso said the orderly room team member or commander's support staff team member who currently processes duty order requests in AROWS will usually have the responsibility of inputting the ARCORT number into AROWS.

"If you input your own orders details into AROWS, you will need to type the ARCORT for MPA and other select orders," he said.

Following are the answers to some common questions ARC members may have concerning the new AROWS data field:

So what is ARCORT?
ARCORT is a new information technology capability sponsored by the Air Force director of operations that provides visibility of all ARC operational requirements (including deployment requirements tracked in a global force management system). ARCORT is managed by a Total Force ARC Requirements Cell within the HQ USAF Operations Directorate.

So why do I need to put this additional information in AROWS?
The ARCORT field allows the Air Force director of operations to have far better visibility of the past, present and future operational contributions of the ARC. Just like people might use the memo field on a personal check to create sub-totals of personal expenses, ARCORT will allow the AF director of operations to maintain visibility of the operational execution in various mission areas.

What orders will be required to have an ARCORT number?
The only orders required to have an ARCORT number in fiscal year 2018 are the following Title 10 activations: full or partial mobilizations, presidential recalls, voluntary (contingency and non-contingency).

Are orders other than MPA required to have an ARCORT number?
Possibly. The intent of putting the ARCORT number in AROWS is to track all operational uses of ARC members, regardless of the type of man-day resource used (man-days, drills, AFTPs, etc.). If you are performing duty on another type of order that qualifies as operational use, your unit's POC for the tasking or mission should be able to provide a specific ARCORT number. If you know the mission is an operational contribution and you don't know the ARCORT number, you can just put 9999999 in the ARCORT field.

Who will input this number into AROWS?
For traditional reservists, it will usually be the orderly room team member or commander's support staff team member who currently processes duty orders requests in AROWS. If you input your own orders details into AROWS (individual mobilization augmentees, for instance), you will need to type the ARCORT for MPA and other select orders requiring an ARCORT number.

Where can I find the ARCORT number?
For an MPA order, the ARCORT number will be provided in the M4S authorization email message or generated on the E-form 49 in block 50. The list of ARCORT numbers associated with particular M4S numbers will be refreshed periodically and made available on ARC2Mission home page on the Air Force Portal.

If your duty order is funded by the ARC and will include the performance of operational mission tasks (e.g. flying a student sortie while on annual tour orders), the ARCORT number can be obtained via your MAJCOM, Defense Department agency or the Force Generation Center. Most orderly rooms will quickly know the ARCORT numbers for the common operational missions their units perform. There may be a bit of a learning curve in the first few months of implementation.

What if I don't have an ARCORT number for my mission and AROWS requires one?
For FY18, you can use "9999999" to ensure no delay in publishing your orders. "9999999" will serve as a flag for correction to the major command and the ARC Requirements Cell that can be fixed later.

Who can I contact for assistance?
The ARC Requirements Cell at AF/A3OD will assist you or your unit to resolve any problems you have getting the right ARCORT numbers for your AROWS orders.

Contact the ARC Requirements Cell at usaf.pentagon.af-cc.mbx.arc2-mission@mail.mil (email preferred) or at commercial 703.693.5133 or DSN 225-5133. The cell is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT.

Team McChord airmen participated in POW/MIA week at Joint Base Lewis-McChord Sept. 11-15 honoring all prisoners of war and those missing in action through daily remembrance events.  

The week's events included a wreath laying ceremony, motorcycle ride, 24-hour run and remembrance luncheon.  

An annual tradition at JBLM, POW/MIA week brings together airmen from all over JBLM to honor, remember and commemorate the service and sacrifice of POWs and those MIA. This year, more than 400 airmen participated in the different events that were put on by more than 70 volunteers.  

The week kicked off Sept. 11 with a wreath laying ceremony at Memorial Grove Park on McChord Field. The laying of the wreath was to reflect on and remember those POWs and MIAs who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

"It's an absolute honor to remember these POWs," said Col. William Percival, 627th Air Base Group commander. "This is our heritage and this honors really who we are."      

The second event to take place during POW/MIA week was the POW/MIA Remembrance Ride Sept. 12 in Tacoma. More than 20 motorcyclists participated in the ride from Sprinker Park, Tacoma, to Orting Soldiers Home in Orting.    

One of the largest attended events was the POW/MIA Remembrance 24-hour run Sept. 13 through Sept. 14 at the McChord Field track.  

More than 300 airmen, soldiers and civilians ran continuous laps around the McChord Track from 8 a.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday. A POW/MIA flag was carried by various participants throughout 24 hours. Participants ran a combined total of 14,159 laps and 3,540 miles.       

"This is a remarkable group of people here, that as busy as they are with the service they already bring to our nation each and every day, took this time to be so vigilant and honor POWs/MIAs," said Col. Reba Sonkiss, 62nd Airlift commander. "A hearty thank you to all the Team McChord folks who put this together and all of JBLM."  

The week concluded with a POW/MIA Remembrance Day Luncheon held on Sept. 15 at the McChord Field Club. The luncheon hosted 13 former POWs from World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam Conflict.  

The event's guest speaker was retired Maj. Joseph Crecca, former Vietnam War POW. Crecca told his story of being held captive as a POW for 2,280 days from November 1966 until his release in February 1973.  

"It is a great honor to host each of you," said Col. Percival. "It's truly an honor to dedicate ourselves to remembering your service and sacrifice."

In the latest move to restore the Air Force's readiness and lethality, senior leaders are taking a closer look at officer performance management with a focus on developing leaders and retaining the talented professionals the service needs.

Over the last year, Headquarters Air Force has conducted research and developed recommendations on a variety of officer performance management related tools, to include evaluations and promotions. The goal is to better identify talent, future potential and plan for current and anticipated officer shortages.

"There have been no major changes to the Officer Evaluation System in nearly thirty years, but there have been significant changes to our force composition, mission, requirements and how our performance system reflects what we value in officers," said Lt. Gen. Gina Grosso, Air Force deputy chief of staff for Manpower, Personnel and Services.

"Although the system hasn't changed, challenges with agility, efficiency, consistency and transparency have been documented by research and in the field for over twenty years," said Maj. Mike Lupher, chief of Workforce Development for the Air Force Talent Management Innovation Cell. "We recognized we needed to do something about it and are taking a comprehensive approach to addressing these challenges."

Field Grade Officer Requirements and Promotion Opportunity

One of the immediate needs senior leaders focused on was the service's requirement for growing and developing enough field-grade officers to meet mission demands. At 92 percent, the Air Force is currently undermanned in Line of the Air Force field-grade officers, with non-rated field-grade officers manned at 74 percent.

As such, beginning December 2017, the pool of line officers considered for promotion to major will have a 100 percent promotion opportunity. Promotion opportunity rates are typically adjusted as required to meet the needs of the Air Force.

"With this change, captains whose conduct has been exemplary can expect to be promoted to major," said Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. "We've been letting capable people leave the service and we need them."

Promotion Recommendation Forms will only be required for officers who receive a "Promote" recommendation and have derogatory information such as an Article 15, court-martial, referral report, or letter of reprimand filed in their Officer Selection Record, as well as for officers with a "Do Not Promote" recommendation.

"I fully trust raters and senior raters to continue to ensure the Air Force's high standards of conduct," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein.

More information about the initiative is available on myPers.

‘One more swing of the axe'

Goldfein also characterized the move as "one more swing of the axe" for him and Secretary Wilson to increase the lethality and readiness of the force, while smartly reducing administrative burdens on squadron commanders.

"This change, along with many other initiatives, will help reinforce our trust and confidence in squadron leadership and their management of our talented airmen," Goldfein said.

Air Force officials said they will continue to review the research and recommendations on how to improve officer performance management, and will announce new initiatives once they're approved and ready for deliberate phased implementation.

Other talent management initiatives recently implemented by the Air Force as part of its broader effort to restore readiness and lethality include continuing to grow the force, reducing unnecessary administrative burdens on airmen, alleviating unneeded Air Force instructions, providing commanders more say in developmental education opportunities, tackling the pilot retention crisis and more acutely focusing on the needs of airmen at the squadron level to ensure they are fully prepared to accomplish their missions.

In the brief respite between Hurricanes Irma and Jose, members of the 62nd Airlift Wing were able to partner with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to deliver much-needed supplies to San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

"Friday (Sept. 8) at approximately 2:15 a.m., we received the phone call that they were going to use us," said Lt. Col. Brandon Tellez, 62nd Operations Support Squadron director of operations. "We boarded the jet for our initial mission, which was to head to Westover, Massachusetts, to pick up FEMA supplies, but about 90 minutes prior to arrival, the Tactical Air Control Center diverted us to Oceana, Virginia."

As situations continued to develop across the Caribbean and personnel and cargo remained in a state of flux, the relief team adapted to the fluidity of their unique mission.

"We had a really flexible team," Tellez said. "The five of us executed the mission as expertly as we possibly could with all the changes. We diverted to Oceana because there were personnel ready to go right away, and aid was needed right away."

According to Puerto Rican officials, Hurricane Irma killed at least three people, left millions without power and more than 50,000 without potable water.

"We carried fifty FEMA personnel who were a mix of urban search and rescue and medical folks to respond to Hurricane Irma in Puerto Rico," said Senior Airman Zachariah Eye, 7th Airlift Squadron aircraft loadmaster.

Once that mission was complete, the crew was given a turn-around tasking.

"We took that group of fifty and all of their supplies down to San Juan," Tellez said. "We dropped them off and headed to Westover, which had been our original destination."

Upon arrival, loadmasters learned they would be dealing with drastically different cargo than they had in support of Puerto Rico relief.

"We had a diesel tanker truck, portable generator attached to a pickup truck, and a FEMA box truck," Eye said. "Most of the cargo we carry is already designed for airlift -- roll on, roll off. You don't have to do anything special with the ramp. However, because these were commercial vehicles, they were not designed for airlift.

"We had to use some ramps and other techniques to load the cargo on the aircraft without damaging either the vehicles or the aircraft. It wasn't quite as easy as the previous upload of personnel and pallets, but we made it work."

Like the delivery before, this load was initially earmarked for Puerto Rico, but was diverted to St. Thomas during the upload process. Once again, the crew took the changes in stride.

"We got all our ducks in a row and adapted to our new mission," Tellez said. "We arrived as the first C-17 Globemaster III into St. Thomas with FEMA supplies and found that airfield completely devastated. The runway was clear and the ramp was clear, but you could see the roofing material from the top of the terminal had all blown over and been pushed to the side. There were aircraft flipped over, upside down and in ditches. The windows were blown out and there was sea life washed inside the terminals after the flooding."

Though Tellez had involvement in earthquake relief after Haiti was devastated in 2010, he described his most recent relief-bringing effort as particularly fulfilling.

"It was very rewarding," Tellez said. "When we headed to St. Thomas and San Juan, it was after Hurricane Irma, but before Hurricane Jose. We were splitting two hurricanes just to get the FEMA supplies where they needed to be. You can't truck vehicles across the ocean into these islands, so the only source of immediate help is through airlift. That's what we were able to provide the cause."

A first-time experience for Eye, the minute-to-minute nature of the aid mission left a lasting impression.

"It's definitely the most dynamic environment I've ever been in during a mission," Eye said. "Usually when we leave, it's pretty much set in stone that we're going to go here, then here, and doing this; on this mission we just had to be flexible -- press with what you know, but be ready to change. It was a different and rewarding experience and I'm glad I was a part of it."

As the Atlantic continues to hurl storm after storm at the Caribbean and parts of the mainland United States, Tellez had these words of assurance to offer:

"I think I speak for all of the operations community when I say, this is what we want to be doing; this is what we love to do -- helping out and making a difference."

Space Available, commonly known as Space A, is a program at many U.S. military installations around the world that allows military members, dependents, retirees, and certain civilians to ride an aircraft to a destination at either a very cheap price or no cost at all.

The program stems from the concept that if a military or contracted aircraft is headed to a particular destination and extra space is available, eligible passengers join the flight.

Ramstein Air Base, which serves as a major Air Force hub, connects to many installations across Europe and the U.S.

Master Sgt. Christian Stamper, a 721st Aerial Port Squadron passenger terminal services section chief, emphasized that space availability depends on certain factors concerning the aircraft or the mission it supports. He mentioned that because of the unpredictable nature of military flights and missions, his airmen cannot guarantee that Space A passengers will be able to board a certain flight, or if a flight will take off at all.

"Space A is a privilege," Stamper said. "When mission and cargo holds allow, seats may be available to eligible passengers. Please be aware that Space A passengers must be prepared to cover commercial travel expenses if Space A flights are changed or become unavailable.

Do not demand to fly Space A," he added. "If you have places you need to be at a certain time, Space A may not be the option for you."

Passengers hoping to fly Space A fall under six categories, with category one taking the most priority and category six taking the least.

Category one is for people on emergency leave, while people on environmental morale leave are category two, and active-duty members on regular leave fall under category three. Category four is for dependents whose sponsors are deployed for 30 days or more, while dependents simply traveling without their sponsors fall under category five. Finally, category six is for retirees conducting leisurely travel.

Airman 1st Class Cheyenne Wood, a 721st APS passenger service agent, said one of the biggest challenges Space A passengers may face is obtaining an available seat, especially during peak seasons.

"Active-duty members tend to take leave with their children over the summer," she said. "They will take priority over dependents (travelling without sponsors) and retirees. It's very common in the summer for us to not even get through all the categories. It is a little harder to try and fly out ... summer is definitely the busiest season for us."

Wood added that passengers who are making a permanent change of station do not fall under Space A, but are booked through the travel office of their branch of service. Thus, PCS passengers take priority over those flying Space A.

Passengers wishing to fly Space A must bring a number of documents depending on their category and purpose of travel.

Active-duty members must bring their passport, leave form, and military ID. Active-duty members must also wait until their leave officially starts prior to signing up for Space A. Dependents traveling with their sponsor must bring their passport and ID. If the dependent is traveling without their sponsor, they must bring a command sponsorship letter along with the two aforementioned documents. A dependent's sponsor can refer to his or her chain of command to inquire about command sponsorship letters. The letter must also be signed by the sponsor's commander. Retirees wishing to travel through Space A must have their passport and ID.

Wood added that passengers traveling on emergency leave should have a Red Cross number in order for passenger service agents to contact and verify the passenger's priority.

Airman 1st Class James DeCoster, a 721st APS passenger service agent, stressed the importance of passengers making sure they have everything they need before showing up at the terminal expecting a flight.

"Make sure you're one hundred percent travel-ready," DeCoster said. "Make sure you've taken care of your lodging, you've turned in your rental car, you've got all your baggage to include your personal items, carry-on and checked bags. If you don't have all of that, you're not considered travel-ready and we cannot select you for that flight."

DeCoster explained that after being selected for a flight, the passenger can be ordered to go straight through check-in and security and they will not have time to take care of any pre-departure business. He also encouraged Space A passengers to be patient and flexible, saying that they are not guaranteed a seat especially during peak seasons. The seasons a passenger is most likely to obtain a seat are spring, fall and winter, except for Christmas time, he said.

"One minute can make the difference between being selected to board a Space A flight or having to turn-around and pay for a commercial airline ticket," DeCoster added. "If you're going to wait until the last minute thinking you'll be picked up for a flight, it's probably not going to happen. The earlier you sign up the better."

Passengers are allowed two check-in bags at 70 pounds each, plus one carry-on bag and one personal item. Those wishing to fly Space A are strongly encouraged to show up one hour before roll call. With the exception of active-duty members taking leave, potential passengers can sign up for Space A 60 days prior to their desired departure date.

Passengers flying to Baltimore, Maryland, will pay a head tax of $34.46 with card, or $34.50 with cash. The head tax is for all passengers regardless of age.

The Western Air Defense Sector on Joint Base Lewis-McChord diligently worked with dozens of agencies and first responders in direct support of search and rescue operations in the Houston area following the wake of destruction left by Hurricane Harvey since Aug 30.

"The WADS is normally tasked with the air defense of North America for NORAD," said Col. Gregor Leist, WADS commander. "But by utilizing air battle management command and control skills, an extensive network of radio and telephone communication, radar and data link equipment and ingenuity and innovation, the Washington Air National Guardsmen of team BIGFOOT put their expertise to use to save over 800 people from rising flood waters."

On Aug. 30, military authorities scrambled an Airborne Warning AND Control System surveillance aircraft from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, to the Houston area.

"The mission was for situational awareness," said Col. William Krueger, 225th Air Defense Group commander. "But within a short amount of time the WADS began providing critical communications relay between the Texas Emergency Operations Center, rescue coordination centers, joint terminal air controllers and the U.S. Coast Guard helicopters who executed the SAR mission. The communications relay was needed due to cell tower and electrical outages throughout the Houston area."

According to Lt. Col. Brian Bergren, 225th Air Defense Squadron director of operations, the WADS vast communication network was able to provide real-time rescue status updates for 11 hospitals, numerous helicopter landing zones and aircraft refueling areas over an area of approximately 25,000 square miles."

"The WADS enhanced the decision-making abilities for those on the ground trying to rescue stranded people, and brought a sense of order to the chaotic airspace over the flood zone area," Bergren said. "The dedication of these Washington Air Guardsman directly resulted in the safe execution of 148 flying sorties, 81 SAR events and the notable rescue of over 800 individuals."

One poignant event that the WADS was involved with was the urgent call for help from one of the emergency coordination centers stating water had started flooding Pine Forest Elementary School, in Vidor, Texas, due to a dam break.

"There were over a hundred evacuees located there who needed immediate rescue," said Capt. Nicholas Rhodes, air battle manager. "When helicopters arrived on scene to pick up the survivors, we smoothly and calmly directed the airborne assets to Houston area hospitals after ensuring landing zones were both available and safe."

The Westen Air Defense Sector leadership had nothing but accolades for Maj. John Dalrymple, Maj. Matthew Horrocks, Capt. Nicholas Rhodes, Capt. Gregory Firestone, and Staff Sgt. Kayla Sharpe, all of whom remained calm under pressure during this rescue operation.

"This team was instrumental in expeditiously creating cohesive air extraction plans during the entire search and recovery effort," explained Krueger.

The WADS air battle managers and command and control battle management operators from the Washington Air National Guard have completed the critical SAR support to Texas and Louisiana. This operation was the largest direct support effort to the Defense Support of Civil Authorities enterprise the WADS has participated since Sept. 11, 2001.

The Air Force will update enlisted special duty assignment pay for several career fields, locations or special assignment duties effective Nov. 1, following the most recent Air Force semiannual review.

SDAP is a monetary allowance that compensates enlisted airmen serving in extremely demanding positions with unusually challenging responsibilities that differ from the normal demands of their jobs. Airmen receive a minimum of $75 per month up to the maximum of $450 per month.

The review resulted in 13 additions to the pay table including a number of jobs with special experience identifiers such as flight engineer, special missions aviator, loadmaster and remotely piloted aircraft sensor operator. Other duties added to the pay table include airfield manager, digital network analyst, cyberspace mission forces, RPA cyber technician, special operations surgical teams and Korean cryptologic language analyst.

Modifications, particularly clarification to eligibility criteria, were made to an additional 23 duties.

"The Air Force meticulously evaluates this program to ensure we are accurately compensating our airmen working in rigorous career fields with an unusual degree of complexity, difficulty or responsibility," said Senior Master Sgt. Joey Williams, the Airman Support branch superintendent at the Air Force's Personnel Center. "We hope to provide an incentive for airmen to volunteer for and perform duties in critical career fields in order to best support future Air Force missions."

The specialty and individual assignment should meet one or more of the following criteria in order for SDAP consideration:

• Duties require extremely demanding personal effort to ensure successful mission accomplishment

• Positions are extremely demanding and require an unusual degree of responsibility over and above what would reasonably be expected in a military assignment for members with the same grade and experience

• The special duty assignment is different from the normal career progression and job description for the Air Force specialty code

• Duties requiring special qualifications that are met through rigorous screening and/or special schooling above the normal qualifications of the skill or grade to maintain proficiency

To see the full special duty assignment pay list and a summary of the changes, visit the enlisted compensation landing page on myPers. Alternatively, select "Active Duty Enlisted" from the myPers dropdown menu and search "SDAP."

For more info about Air Force personnel programs, go to https://mypers.af.mil/.

Air Mobility Command recently completed a very successful Exercise Mobility Guardian. The exercise, involving 30-plus nations and more than 3,000 exercise participants, challenged U.S. and partner militaries to "Train like We Fight" with outstanding support from the Spokane, Yakima, Tacoma and Seattle communities who served as our hosts.

The exercise tested our total force airmen on the "Core 4" Air Mobility Command missions of aerial refueling, airlift, aeromedical evacuation and mobility support.

The Air Mobility Command mission is diverse, impacting national security while contributing to how various communities view mobility operations. Recognizing this, we added another dynamic to the exercise: robust interaction with news media and the community.

In today's defense environment, the media and community are intertwined in our operations and demand an understanding of what the military is charged to do. Engaging both is a national imperative that ensures we hold ourselves accountable to our airmen, the American people and international partners.

I think the necessity of engaging the press in these activities is well understood. However, incorporating civic leaders and the communities we serve, both domestically and internationally, is equally important. Engagement presents tangible benefits for our mission, airmen and their families, leading to stronger mission partnerships. The military and our families rely on these partnerships during the good times, and under challenging circumstances when natural disaster strikes or world situations require evacuation.

So why is it important for civic leaders and communities to become immersed in the Air Force and mobility air forces mission set?

A few benefits include an enhanced:

• Understanding of the demands placed on mobility air forces (both aircraft and personnel)

• Insight into the impact the mobility air forces is having on national defense and global operations

• Pride in installation's impact to larger AMC and Air Force missions

• Opportunities to strengthen civic-military ties, trust and public support to complete the mission

• Ensuring insight into the respective vantage points of the Air Force as well as our community partners

• Awareness of the opportunities available to those interested in serving in the Air Force. We need everyone's help developing an interest in service and a passion for aviation.

When communities have a sense of pride and awareness of the impact of military operations, it results in stronger, supportive military-friendly environments. Supportive military communities make airmen and their families feel valued, welcomed and create a desire for them to stay in the Air Force.

Informing civic leaders about national defense roles, responsibilities, and impacts can also lead to enhanced national defense dialogue on the demands the military faces. Exposure to these topics leads to informed national and local decision-making ensuring we remain accountable to those we serve.

Transparency and a culture of engagement in Air Mobility Command is critically important to me. Our airmen deserve it and so do our community partners. Investment in educating community partners results in established trust and access. This trust is critically important when the Air Force navigates concerns about noise from our aircraft or environmental challenges.

It is important America understands the value we place on integrity, service and excellence -- the effects of what our airmen deliver for the nation deserves nothing less. I expect my commanders to be actively engaged in the community and to help build a strong team to ensure mission success and strong support networks.

At Mobility Guardian, the military-community partnership was on full display. The value of this exercise exceeded traditional military objectives, it factored in the total force team required to win our nation's wars -- our military, international and community partners. The Spokane, Yakima, Tacoma and Seattle communities aced the challenge and understand the role they serve in enabling a power projection platform for America.