Air Force's Personnel Center

Exceptional Family Member Program actions are designed to assist an Airman who has a family member with special needs that meet Department of Defense enrollment criteria. These problems are usually permanent or long term and the family may need continued assistance.

The intent of the EFMP assignment policy is to utilize the Airmen at locations based on current or projected manning requirements. Also, the specialized medical, educational, early intervention or related services are required to be available at the projected location. These services are provided through the military medical system or the civilian resources utilizing TRICARE, or a combination thereof and local resources.

Eligibility

The Airman has a family member with a medical or educational requirement that meets the DOD criteria for enrollment in the EFMP, (Assignment Limitation Code - Q), updated in the Military Personnel Data System (MilPDS).

The Special Needs Coordinator has determined that adequate facilities/resources to meet the family member’s medical, educational, related service, or early intervention requirements do not exist and cannot be reasonably provided within the current assignment locale.

The Airman’s presence is determined to be essential in establishing, participating in, or continuing a medical regimen or educational program in the present area of assignment. Normally, only one deferment for the continuing condition of the same family member is permitted and a temporary duty (TDY) deferment (when determined necessary) is normally only provided during the initial assignment deferment period.

The Airman was denied family member travel by the gaining medical treatment facility (MTF) based on processing the AF Form 1466, Request for Family Member's Medical and Education Clearance for Travel and other documentation.

The spirit and intent of the Humanitarian Program is to assist Airmen in resolving severe short-term problems, normally within 12 months, involving a family member.

When a request involves reassignment, it will normally be to the closest location to where the family member concerned resides so the Airman can provide the family member maximum support, consistent with the manning needs of the Air Force.

For humanitarian consideration, a family member can be the Airman's spouse, child, parent, parent-in-law, stepparent, or other person actually residing in the applicant's household who is dependent on the Airman. It can also be someone who acted in loco parentis, that is, raised either the applicant or his or her spouse in the place of a parent for a minimum of five years before the Airman’s entry on active duty or 21st birthday, whichever comes first. While siblings (brothers and sisters) are not within the usual definition of family member for humanitarian consideration, a request involving a terminal illness is considered as an exception to policy.

Eligibility

A vacancy must exist at the new duty station if a permanent change of station (PCS) is involved and the Airman must meet service retainability requirements for PCS.

The Airman must be experiencing a problem involving a family member according to AFI 36-2110, Assignments, paragraphs A24.2.1 and A24.2.2) that is more severe than usually encountered by other Air Force members with a similar problem.

The Airman’s presence must be absolutely essential to alleviate the problem.

How to Apply

Airmen applying for a Humanitarian or EFMP reassignment are required to submit a formal application electronically utilizing virtual MPF.

If vMPF is unavailable or the Airman does not have access to vMPF, applications will be manually submitted through email to the myPers - Total Force Service Center.

NOTE: Technical training students and basic trainees will submit hardcopy applications through their servicing Military Personnel Section.

The estimated timeline to process applications is:

-Humanitarian: approximately 2-4 weeks

-EFMP: approximately 4-6 weeks

Delays to standard processing time may be due to:

-Insufficient/incomplete information provided

-Airman requires retraining into another career field (Humanitarian Only)

-Additional time required to obtain medical clearance based on the severity of the medical conditions or limited number of potential locations based on the Airman's career field

Expedited Transfer

Airmen who are sexually assaulted and file an unrestricted report may request an Expedited Transfer (ET) with assistance from the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Office.

Airmen who are victims of stalking or other sexual misconduct (i.e., indecent viewing, visual recording, or broadcasting; forcible pandering; indecent exposure) and file a report, may also request an ET with assistance from the Victim and Witness Assistance Program in the installation’s Legal Office.

Eligibility

If an Airman is sexually assaulted, consults with the local Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) and files an unrestricted report, the Airman may request an Expedited Transfer (ET). Guidance for the Expedited Transfer Assignment Program is found in AFI 36-2110, Attachment 26.

How to Apply

Expedited Transfer requests are processed under the Humanitarian Program in vMPF. Airmen must include the required commander's letter, endorsed by the local servicing vice wing commander when submitting the ET application.