JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas -- Air Force assignments to the Republic of Turkey are now unaccompanied, 12-month tours, effective Sept. 21, Air Force officials said today.
This decision was made taking into account the region’s current security environment and in consultation with the Department of State and Turkish government which resulted in eliminating the 24-month accompanied tour option as well as reducing the 15-month unaccompanied tour for our military members, said William Houston, AFPC assignments programs and procedures branch.
“This affects all Airmen that arrive in Turkey after Sept. 21, 2016,” Houston said. “Airmen with families who were planning to elect the accompanied tour need to be aware of the change before they make any move plans.”
The 24-month tour option for all civilians at Incirlik has been eliminated and a 12-month unaccompanied tour is now required. Civilians currently serving a 24-month tour will have their tour automatically changed to a 12-month tour unless specifically approved by the Commander, U.S. Air Force in Europe
Affected military and civilian Airman should contact their base personnel sections to confirm they have accurate, updated orders. AFPC will work one-on-one with Airmen who experience legitimate hardships as a result of the change, he said.
AFPC will send an email notification to all affected Airmen and is working with members who elected the accompanied tour to resolve problems related to the tour-length change.
“They’ll be allowed to request a home-base or follow-on assignment and we’ll work with them individually to help them with this change. Cancellation requests will be considered, but that will be case-by-case and depend on mission impact, reporting dates, a possible hardship situation and other factors,” Houston said.
Airmen currently serving 15-month unaccompanied tours will complete their assignments without curtailment or no later than Aug. 31, 2017. Airmen selected for, or who volunteered for the short, unaccompanied tour will be unaffected except for tour length.
All those headed to Incirlik Air Base need to be aware that shipment of household goods is limited to 10 percent of the full Joint Travel Regulation entitlement. Shipment of pets is no longer authorized due to the unavailability and unpredictability of transportation into the region. Service and special needs animals remain unrestricted. Automobiles are also no longer authorized during a Permanent Change of Station.
Military and civilian personnel assigned to U.S. Embassy or the Security Cooperation Organizations duty are not affected by this change. Exceptions to the Joint Travel Regulations are available for civilian employees assigned to Incirlik Air Base and Ankara Air Station.
For more information about Air Force personnel programs, go to the myPers website. Individuals who do not have a myPers account can request one by following these instructions on the Air Force Retirees Services website.