New branch transfer plan for officers set - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

New branch transfer plan for officers set

The Army will streamline the switch to new career specialties for most basic-branch captains and majors under a test program to be launched early next year.

Called the Officer Service Management Pilot Program, the new system is a marked improvement over previous procedures that required assignment officers — typically captains and majors — to deal with transfer requests on a case-by-case basis.

Under the new system, panels of lieutenant colonels who are experienced human resource managers will consider requests quarterly, said Col. Rick Nieberding, chief of Human Resources Command’s officer leader development division.

The panels will begin meeting to consider requests as of Feb. 1 at HRC.

The new approach “brings transparency to the system and assists officers in making informed choices about requesting a branch or functional area transfer,” he said.

If approved for transfer, officers will incur a three-year service obligation, to begin on their first day of training or permanent assignment to their new branch or functional area.

The new process will not replace boards that meet annually to consider captains for functional designation at the fourth and seventh year of service, Nieberding said.

Designation boards will meet, as previously scheduled, May 6-20, for officers in year groups 2003 and 2007 who want to pursue single-track careers in a functional area.

To qualify for the OSMPP, officers must hold a Regular Army appointment and be in a branch or functional area that is part of the Army Competitive Category.

The program will not include warrant officers or Regular Army commissioned officers assigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, Chaplain Corps or Army Medical Department branches.

Also ineligible are officers who have service obligations for special programs, including those who signed on for the Menu of Incentives program in 2007-2008.

Officers who have service obligations for tuition assistance and the Expanded Graduate School Program are eligible for OSMPP.

Specific zones of eligibility, along with a listing of eligible branches and functional areas, will be announced in advance of each board.

The general zones of consideration for the February panel and subsequent panels will include:

• Captains and promotable captains with less than nine years and one day of service. Officers in this category will be allowed to request transfer to, or out of, a basic branch or functional area.

• Majors with less than 14 years and one day of service as of the convening date of the board. These officers only will be allowed to request transfer to a functional area.

• Majors with more than 14 years of service will not be allowed to participate in the program unless they receive a waiver from the Army G1, a three-star general.

For program details and application procedures, consult MilPer messages 09-243 and 09-259.

Related reading

• Officer Service Management Pilot Program application deadline extended

More details

• Officer transfer calls