Short-tour credit authorized for contingency deployments overseas

17 Jun 2003 | Master Sgt. Randy L. Mitchell

A temporary exception to policy will award permanent change-of-station short-tour credit to many airmen deployed overseas for recent contingency operations, according to Air Force Personnel officials here.

Eligible airmen must have been on temporary duty starting on or after Sept. 11, 2001, for at least 181 consecutive days at an overseas location designated as a hostile-fire or imminent-danger pay area.

This credit is intended to reduce the chances of people being sent as nonvolunteers to an unaccompanied short tour soon after a prolonged contingency deployment, officials said.

The change is an exception to current policy, which only authorizes short-tour credit for airmen accumulating 300 or more days on TDY overseas during an 18-month period.

This exception is not without precedent. During operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, an exception was approved to authorize short-tour credit to people who deployed for at least 181 consecutive days from Aug. 1, 1990, to June 10, 1991.

Airmen are responsible for requesting short-tour credit through the military personnel flight’s personnel employment element at their permanent duty station. The TDY travel voucher must be completed before airmen can apply for credit. The paid voucher will be the source document used to verify the dates of the deployment and if the location qualified for payment of hostile-fire or imminent-danger pay. (Courtesy of AFPC News Service)