AF Changes Evaluation System

The process by which enlisted airmen are promoted is undergoing an upheaval. The service announced July 29 that both the Weighted Airman Promotion and Enlisted Evaluation systems will be revamped, to conform to new manpower needs. “The changes are intended to ensure the Air Force truly makes job performance the driving factor and will be implemented incrementally beginning August 2014 and continuing through early 2016,” the service stated. “What gets measured gets done,” said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. For the Weighted Airman Promotion System, promotions will hinge upon the maximum of three prior years’ enlisted performance reports (EPRs). The current system bases calculations on five previous reports. For the Enlisted Evaluation System, assessments will follow closely the standards set forth in the Airman Comprehensive Assessment (ACA), which was introduced in July. The change, again, is aimed at providing accurate performance assessments and doing away with the possibility of inflated reports. “This is the most comprehensive update to enlisted evaluations and promotions in nearly 45 years,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody.