Developmental education application deadlines set Published March 6, 2012 By Debbie Gildea Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- Civilians interested in basic developmental education, and officers and civilians interested in intermediate and senior developmental education should begin preparing their applications, which are due April 9 for officers and May 1 for civilians, Air Force Personnel Center officials said. Basic civilian programs include squadron officer school, education with industry and others. Intermediate programs include the Air Command and Staff College, Air Force Institute of Technology, international services program opportunities, and a variety of fellowship and internship programs. Senior programs include Air Force and defense fellowships, Army War College, Air Command and Staff College with an Air War College follow-on, international services senior development program opportunities, and more. Requirements and eligibility vary depending on the program, so applicants should carefully review the program guide before preparing application documents, said Maj. Cotina Jenkins-Sellers, AFPC Officer Developmental Education Branch chief. Officer Application Process IDE and SDE are part of the Air Force education continuum which helps develop strategic thinkers capable of leading the Air Force into the future, said Jenkins-Sellers. Officers use their AFPC secure web-based 3849 form to apply for developmental education, as in past years. Eligible officers and raters will be able to access the form March 8-April 9. "The web-based 3849 is only accessible to IDE/SDE eligible officers and senior raters," said Jenkins-Sellers. "It is on the AFPC secure website, so eligible officers should log in and click on the IDE_SDE icon to access it. Then, follow the site's instructions to complete the form." Candidates may apply for up to five IDE or SDE programs, and must be nominated by the senior rater to compete for development team and Air Force Developmental Education Designation Board consideration. Candidates must also ensure their Airman Development Plan is up-to-date, said the major. "If you haven't updated or used your AFPC secure account in the past 120 days, you need to make sure it's accessible or re-establish your password and register your common access card as soon as possible to avoid delays," she advised. All resources necessary to complete the application package are available on the Air Force Personnel Services website, under the officers' force development section. Civilian Application Process Civilian developmental education is also part of the Air Force education continuum designed to develop leaders, said Susan Lang-Krudwig, AFPC CDE program manager. "Our goal is to ensure promising employees are able to pursue developmental education that suits their goals and supports Air Force mission needs," she said. This year, approximately 700 candidates between GS-07 and GS-15 will be selected for basic developmental education, intermediate developmental education, or senior developmental education with funding provided by the AFPC Leadership Development Office, she said. Civilians must be nominated for CDE by their leadership, and endorsed by their chain of command. Once an employee receives an endorsement, the nomination package must be submitted by the employee through AFPERS, unlike previous years when an employee or their major command mailed the hard copy application. Upon submission, the employee will receive confirmation that the nomination was received. "This process also allows the nominee to use the question box in the submission area to begin a dialogue with the AFPC leadership development staff about their package," explained Lang-Krudwig. Nominations must include, at minimum, a resume (in the mandated format), CDE checklist, and the AF Form 4059 with proper endorsements. Other documents may be required depending on the program. For more information about developmental education programs, to access application documents, resources and submission instructions, or for information about other personnel issues, go to the Air Force Personnel Services website at https://gum-crm.csd.disa.mil.