Airmen can once again apply for a sabbatical program to take up to three years off from the Air Force to start a family, go back to school, or pursue other goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Air Force Personnel Center said Thursday that the application window for the Career Intermission Program is now open through Sept. 12. Selected airmen will start to take their break sometime in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And for the first time, the Air Force is allowing some airmen receiving a Critical Skills Retention Bonus to apply, as long as the reason they want to take a break is based on an unanticipated hardship. Previously, airmen receiving such bonuses were ineligible for the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the third year in a row the Air Force has offered a limited three-year sabbatical program. Airmen who are accepted transfer to the Individual Ready Reserve during their break. They continue to receive their usual medical and dental coverage, as well as a small stipend of 1\/15th of their usual monthly basic pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When their break is over and they return, they are required to spend twice as long in active duty status as they spent in the CIP program. That is, an airman taking the full three years off agrees to serve at least another six years before leaving the Air Force for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The program got off to a slow start in 2014, but interest appears to be growing over time. The first year, the Air Force picked 32 airmen\u00a0\u2014 18 enlisted and 14 officers\u00a0\u2014 to take time off, less than the maximum 40 allowed for the program. But last year, the number of airmen chosen grew to 38 airmen\u00a0\u2014 20 enlisted and 18 officers, closer to the previous maximum allowance of 20 enlisted and 20 officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this year, the National Defense Authorization Act allowed the Air Force to lift the 40-airman limit. There is no upper limit to how many can be chosen for this round, as long as selectees meet all the eligibility requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James has signaled this program is a priority, as part of her effort to make the Air Force more family-friendly and alleviate airmen’s work-life concerns. The Air Force hopes this program will allow it to hold on to talented airmen who might otherwise leave to pursue other personal goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“More flexibility, we think, is an important factor in order to keep some great airmen with the Air Force for the long haul,” James said in a March 2015 address on diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Airmen also are allowed to carry forward up to 60 days of leave during their break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if two airmen are married, both of them can apply to take part in the CIP program, as long as they both are eligible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The selection panel is expected to meet at the Air Force Personnel Center in Texas in October to decide who to choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Capt. Shannon Williams, a C-21 pilot, told Air Force Times last year that she took the three-year sabbatical to care for her newborn daughter Jillian. Had she not received this time off, Williams said, she might have switched to the Air National Guard or Air Force Reserve, or even left the Air Force entirely. But with this time at home, Williams says she hopes to stay in the Air Force for a full 20-year career, and return to flying.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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