BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The HQ Air Reserve Personnel Center Evaluations Training Team wrapped up a week-long training course for wing-level Air Reserve Component members, here, March 8.
This hands-on course aims to provide force support squadron and command support staff representatives an opportunity to learn from subject matter experts and address common concerns pertaining to Air Reserve Component (ARC) evaluations.
It also allows attendees to have HQ level system access to be able to process and complete evaluations for their wing while simultaneously assisting the center with the current evaluation inventory.
Before this initiative was launched almost a year ago, more than 35 percent of evaluations submitted to HQ ARPC were returned to the wings for corrections. Thanks in part to this training opportunity, the wings have seen the number of returned evaluations reduced to five percent.
“When the program was implemented, HQ ARPC evaluations working inventory was over 50,000 due to manning issues and static closeout dates from the Guard and Reserve,” said Staff Sgt. Arthur Rossi, HQ ARPC evaluations training program lead trainer. “The training program was a way for HQ ARPC to bring in wing level evaluation technicians where they were given in-depth evaluations training and an opportunity to work on their units’ EPRs and OPRs.”
The Air Force evaluations system is used to establish performance standards and expectations, provide meaningful feedback on how well the member is meeting those expectations, and direction on how to better meet those established standards if corrections need to be made.
Currently, there are 57 blocks on the Air Force Form 910 (AB thru TSgt), and 61 blocks on the AF Form 707(Lt thru Col), that require inputs from multiple sources before submitting to HQ ARPC. These documents, along with the AF Form 911 and AF Form 912, follow the service member throughout their career and it is imperative they are filled out correctly, and accurately, to capture the service member’s performance during the specified time period.
Throughout the training course, members of the HQ ARPC evaluations training team provide in-depth briefings on how to review and process the various evaluation forms. This small team also dives deeper into such topics as “Directed by HAF” reports and how to utilize non-rated days.
Technicians leading the classes are armed with a wealth of knowledge pertaining to evaluations and are able to communicate in a way that the least experienced Airman in the room is able to understand, according to Tech. Sgt. Mitchell Ciccarelli, HQ ARPC evaluations supervisor.
As word has spread throughout both commands of the value of the training, interest in attending the course has grown.
“When this program was initially launched in April 2018, our training team was comprised of two trainers. But due to the success of this program and the popularity at the wing level, we have since strengthened our team to now include seven certified trainers to meet the demand,” said Ciccarelli. “Our goal is to train at least one member from every wing in the Guard or Reserve so that they can serve as subject matter experts for their units on how to properly prepare and submit performance reports for their Airmen.”
Current initiatives including this training program, have improved HQ ARPC’s capability to process evaluations in a timely and more efficient manner and better postures HQ ARPC for the upcoming workload surges due to Static Close-out Dates.
As HQ ARPC continues to improve internal processes to combat the evaluations inventory, priority processing will be applied to evaluations for members meeting promotion boards.
Members interested in attending this course can submit a ticket through myPers to the evaluations department.