Targeting the Occupational Skill Pairings Needed in New Air Force Colonels

Abstract : This research extends to colonels the kind of analysis reported earlier for the much smaller force of Air Force general officers (GOs) and Senior Executive Service (SES) civilians. Specifically, it explains how leader requirements were identified at the colonel level and how initial ranges were established for the mixes of paired skills to be developed in field-grade officers before they are promoted to colonel. It establishes planning goals intended to help steer Air Force development teams as they guided selected officers from numerous career fields into paired skills (or secondary occupations) to gain competencies as majors and lieutenant colonels that would be important for their potential future jobs as colonels and generals. The development of those goals and a complementary approach for developing officers within their career fields were outlined at an introductory level in a previous monograph. This technical report should interest Air Force functional managers, officer career-field managers, officer development teams, assignment teams, individual officers, and those creating and managing the development frameworks for civilians, enlisted personnel, and the reserve components. This material should also interest those in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the other services who are working to develop, apply, or improve competency-based systems for managing manpower, personnel, and training. The research was sponsored by Lt Gen Roger A. Brady, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personnel, Headquarters United States Air Force (AF/A1), and performed within the Manpower, Personnel, and Training Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE for a fiscal year 2007 study, "Force Development."