ADP (Airman Development Plan)

[theat6bisasham]

Anyone know anything about this AFPC robot email saying to update your ADP's for the April CAF DT (or something CAF) board? Something about making sure to update it so they don't vector you into something you don't want..

what the heck is this about?

[sputnik]

Think of this as a promotion board that doesn't necessarily line up with an actual promotion board. I'm a MAF guy, so no idea what AFPC shows as your "standard" career progression, nor where you fall on the O1-010 spectrum. But the DT (Developmental Team, headed by a general officer) looks at everyone's records in your year group, and provides a "vector." If you were in the senior capt/young maj group, it might say "jt staff" if you're considered a young God, it might say "send to underwater basket weaving" if you're not. Your records are involved. Obviously they are what they are. The one place you have an impact is your ADP..."Airman Developement Plan(?)" basically what people usually call your wishlist. Common misperception is that you only need to fill out and keep current when you're due for an assignment. Actually I wouldn't call that a misperception as in my opinion it's the only time it really matters (note, I'm not on shortlist for CSAF). However, if you're trying to move your career along, taking the time to fill out and keep your ADP current is your chance to tell AFPC what your next and long time goals are.

If you read board president outbriefs, for any boards, a common complaint is that a significant percentage of those meeting board (or whatever) don't have a current ADP on file. Message being, if you can't bother to take the time to tell us what you want with your career, why should we bother trying to help further it?

[Toro]

Regardless of the particular situation, it's always a good idea to have your ADP updated. Sputnik's explanation is right on. We've all seen the e-mails from the AFPC robot spamming us with wonderful deals it comes up with like 365s to Iraq and aide-de-camp butt boy exec type jobs. Having your ADP updated can give you a leg up when the occasional good deal (or bad deal you're willing to volunteer for) comes your way.

[ClearedHot]

Dudes,

The CAF DT or Combat Air Forces Development Team is going to meet to vector for for school and command soon.

The ADP or Airmen Development Plan is your voice in the process.

Hopefully you have had a chance to sit down with your boss for a feedback session and hopefully that feedback session was a two way street.

I highly advise you take some time to log on to the portal and build your ADP to meet with you specific career goals. Two types of ADPs I have seen go something like this;

1. It is my desire to command at all levels, as an IDE select I was like to attend at the earliest opportunity followed by a tour on the Joint Staff. Following that assignment I would like to return to fly in a leadership position. My choices of preference are X, Y, & Z.

or

2. It is my desire to serve my country and fly as much as possible. I would like to remain at this base for a long as possible. My choice of follow on bases is X, Y, Z.

Either one of these is acceptable in my opinion, honest feedback and expectations are the key.

Once you fill out the entire ADP (there are several tabs), send it to your SQ/CC, THEN TELL HIM YOU DID! The system does not notify the boss that you sent it.

When the DT meets they will consider your statements along with the endorsement from the boss as they make a future vector on where you should go. If the ADP is blank you have missed a chance to express your vote and it may be seen as "this person does not care, so lets send him to a UAS".

[Guest Knuckle Dragger]

Is there some sort of secret decoder ring that tells me how to fill this thing out?

[Cooter]

The first page is he hardest, selecting AFSC/Locs. You can select an AFSC and then multiple locs in rank order where you would like to go. At the top make sure you select the widget for which assignment preference you want (1st choice, 2nd et.) After that it's career vectoring (like CH said above) and finally your personal thoughts on what you want to do with a block for your commander below that. I believe the old T-ODP sent an email to your CC but I don't think ADP does so give them a heads up.

Cooter

P.S And yes I'm now an OG Exec...I know me now but I'm working for a former -111/-15E WSO that is bringing lots of perspective to a a place that lost it for a while.

[theat6bisasham]

The first page is he hardest, selecting AFSC/Locs. You can select an AFSC and then multiple locs in rank order where you would like to go. At the top make sure you select the widget for which assignment preference you want (1st choice, 2nd et.) After that it's career vectoring (like CH said above) and finally your personal thoughts on what you want to do with a block for your commander below that. I believe the old T-ODP sent an email to your CC but I don't think ADP does so give them a heads up.

I'm now an OG Exec...I know me now but I'm working for a former -111/-15E WSO that is bringing lots of perspective to a a place that lost it for a while.

I put down F-22, then eurofighter, then space shuttle.

Also I would like to command the 1st FS, then 2nd FS in that order. If not, I would like to command NASA.

As far as school? I put down University of Florida and scratched out maxwell.

[Toro]

I put down F-22, then eurofighter, then space shuttle.

Also I would like to command the 1st FS, then 2nd FS in that order. If not, I would like to command NASA.

As far as school? I put down University of Florida and scratched out maxwell.

F@cking outstanding. Best post I've seen here in a while.

[dream big]

Thread revival, how early after UPT is one supposed to fill the ADP out? Is it usually after you get to your first flying assignment ?

[guineapigfury]

They don't consider your ADP valid unless it has been updated within the last year. Doing it before you arrive at your first assignment is overkill. Just do it when you get there and update once a year. Talk with your flt cc and he'll be able to help you out.

[Whitman]

Any suggestions for the comments section? I've heard advice from an AFSOC O-6 that said to keep it "short, humble, and needs of the AF based". Does that check in other commands?

[Vetter]

Quals

Goal (I would like another flying billet/Staff/white jet)

Aircraft/Location Prefs

Extenuating Circumstances (joint spouse, kid sick, etc)

Keep it simple and easy to read. Be realistic. Talk to your commander, he has more pull than you ever will.

This is the CAF standard.

[Homestar]

Thread revival, how early after UPT is one supposed to fill the ADP out? Is it usually after you get to your first flying assignment ?

i usually just update around the time that my OPR is due. I'm usually in the CC's office for feedback around that time anyway, so it's a good time to knock both out.

[Kikuchiyo]

Quals

...

I work assignments for USAFE and work closely with the ACC & AMC DT advisers. Everyone at AFPC and the DTs says to leave off Quals, bio, or other resume type info. They have all your OPRs, and your SURF is on top of the record. No need to waste your and their time repeating what they already have. Just FWIW.

Otherwise all good advise.

Edited September 15, 2011 by Kikuchiyo

[Whitman]

I work assignments for USAFE and work closely with the ACC & AMC DT advisers. Everyone at AFPC and the DTs says to leave off Quals, bio, or other resume type info. They have all your OPRs, and your SURF is on top of the record. No need to waste your and their time repeating what they already have. Just FWIW.

Otherwise all good advise.

Since knowing your audience is so important when communicating, can you help answer that question WRT the ADP comments section? Who has eyes on, other than the sq/cc? Just seems like listing quals could be viewed as arrogant if read by a 20 yr senior leader.

[Flare]

Straight off the Viper porch webpage, it lists examples like Vetter's on what a good comments section looks like. They (at least F-16s) want quals.

[ThreeHoler]

My most recent advice from leadership was pretty much what they said above:

Quals (what makes you a more special leaf than all the other leaves out there)

Goal (I would like another flying billet/Staff/white jet -- Next assignment AND long term)

Aircraft/Location Prefs

Extenuating Circumstances (joint spouse, kid sick, etc)

That was the advice from HQ AF, so I'll hopefully soon find out what AMC is wanting in that box (sts, teehee).

[Kikuchiyo]

Fair enough. The info I had was more from the guys that use it for DT panels than from the assignments guys. Both do use your ADP, but to slightly different ends.

For the assignment officers, having that info can serve as a mini-bio highlighting any special quals, skills, or courses that make you different. I've seen them use the ADP that way at an assignment match, but didn't know they had specifically asked for it. They also have and use your SURF, obviously, but if they asked for it, then they must be using it. I'll bring it up to Lude when I see him later this month and ask for his thoughts.

But both DT advisers that I know, and the O-6s that sit on the DTs, have specifically briefed not to list a bio on your ADP. The USAFE/A1 stated just the other day, the DT doesn't really care what YOU say, they care what your rater and Senior Rater write about you. But he did caveat that by saying that what you write on an ADP can certainly affect specific assignment actions.

So, like Whitman said, it's about knowing your audience. If you're updating an ADP for a DT that you're meeting, then write to that. Then once you've got your vector, update your ADP again for the assignment team based on your vector and true preferences.

[Vetter]

The reason Quals are important is some jobs require certain quals. For example, you must be a 4-ship to go to the FTU. You must be an IP to go to Test. Certain assignments may request specific quals such as FAC(A) or Sandy. The only locations this information is located is in my gradebook, the LOX, and PEX. So Quals are important on the ADP...but not as much as your leadership looking out for you. Caveat-CAF standard.

[Whitman]

My most recent advice from leadership was pretty much what they said above:

Quals (what makes you a more special leaf than all the other leaves out there)

Goal (I would like another flying billet/Staff/white jet -- Next assignment AND long term)

Aircraft/Location Prefs

Extenuating Circumstances (joint spouse, kid sick, etc)

That was the advice from HQ AF, so I'll hopefully soon find out what AMC is wanting in that box (sts, teehee).

I'm AMC as well so also curious. Thanks guys.

[Herk Driver]

I'm AMC as well so also curious. Thanks guys.

Previous advice is pretty good advice.

[egochecks]

I'll tag this here although it could probably double in the UAS thread. The first UPT-D bubbas to UAS are up for reassignment. The process for listing a/c preference is an ADP. There are 9 different a/c available in this first drop. The process being somewhat UPT assignment-esque vs. a standard next assignment from an already established MWS makes the ADP sort of an oval peg in a round hole (sts). For example, if following the ADP format and honoring the MAJCOM/AFSC/Location tier to listing prefrences, the five ADP slots can be taken up with only three a/c listed leaving six a/c unlisted due to locations within various MAJCOMs. Direction from above has been a little piecemeal on exactly how to make this whole thing work. To top it off, it's been made known that while one may be released from UAS to AFPC, there still exists the possibility that there may be a "mismatch" at AFPC resulting in not receiving one of the available assignments. Due to the first set of available a/c being airframes only without any mention of location, our current guidance is to fill out the ADP with our first five preferences with no regard to correcty marrying MAJCOM and Location and use the comments section to rank order the remaining four airframes. So we do have guidance, however, this possibility for a release but then subsequent mismatch makes me want to make sure we have all of our ducks in the right rows so as to maximize our potential for receiving an assignment.

Based on this info, my own inexperience with ADPs, and the "oval" use of the ADP in this process, I do have a couple of questions for anyone (Rotorhead and any others) who have worked the ADP process from the AFPC side who can elaborate on how an ADP used and submitted in this way might effect the process of assignment selection for UPT-D UAS pilots.

Essentially, will ignoring the MAJCOM/AFSC/Location tier format flag somewhere and cause a delay or worse the "mismatch" or will the people receiving the ADP understand what is meant and work through the ADPs in a logical fashion. If there is a mismatch or discrepency will the AFPC folks notifiy you or will it flag and force some sort of rejection due to inproper formatting, etc? Lastly, is there a better way to submit our ADPs so that our preferences and intentions will be better understood and most obvious to AFPC?

Thanks for any info and assistance in regard to this. As you can imagine it's an oppurtunity none of us want to miss and I'm just looking for ways to improve upon the guidance we've received rather than attempt to jettison it completely. Additionally, this is sort of an ASAP inquiry as we have roughly a week to submit.

Cheers.

Ego

Edit: Mods, haven't been around in a while and didn't even know there was a full up UAS section now. If this discussion is better served in that section I will remove and repost.

Edited October 13, 2011 by egochecks

[ClearedHot]

What assignments/airframes are they offering?

[JPStryker]

I'd have to imagine it will work like someone who gets an OSA or FAIP assignment out of UPT. Find out from your CC what airframes/locations are available, let him/her know what you want, and hopefully they go to bat for you.

[egochecks]

CH,

C-5, C-17, C-130J, C-130E/H, KC-10, KC-135, RC-135, E-3, & B-52. Around 19 a/c for about 55 dudes, so it should be interesting. At least it's getting the ball rolling.

JP,

I imagine it looks a lot like a FAIP model. Our SQ/CC's a good dude and has done his best to keep us in the loop. It seems, however, that the flow of information (probably to the Group) is somewhat sporadic and sparse in some areas. I imagine a lot of it is based on this being the first iteration so no one has an exact bead on how it's going to work. Just looking to see how this process might look from the AFPC side of the house and how we can best present our cases so as to maximize this opportunity.

Ego