New process available for selecting retirement option

  • Published
  • Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs
Officers and enlisted Airmen reaching 15
years of active-duty service will have new procedures in place beginning
April 1 to accept enrollment in the Redux retirement plan.

Airmen will receive an electronic notification of their eligibility for the
High-3 Choice retirement plan that allows members to choose a $30,000 career
status bonus in exchange for lower retirement pay under Redux. The
notification will inform Airmen of their option to elect CSB, advise them on
how to accept the bonus, and instruct them on how to initiate the payment
request.

Members who do not respond to the notification will automatically revert to
the High-3 retirement plan.

"A relatively low interest in the CSB led to the change in the notification
and election process," said Col. William Foote, director of personnel
services at the Air Force Personnel Center here. "Streamlining this
procedure reduces the strain of paperwork for Airmen and returns valuable
time back to members, commanders and support staffs."

Ann Lacey, an AFPC retirement procedures specialist, explained that all
members were previously required to initiate a CSB election whether they
desired the bonus or not, requiring all eligible Airmen to complete a DD
Form 2839, Career Status Bonus Election, and commanders to review their
records. However, only a little more than 20 percent of Airmen were electing
the bonus.

"These changes are going to greatly reduce the workload for all parties
involved in the CSB process," she said.

The change eliminates the need to complete the form for members who do not
wish to elect the CSB after notification has been acknowledged, thereby
saving Airmen and their units time by reducing paperwork.

The Redux retirement plan affects members initially entering the military or
uniformed service Aug. 1, 1986, or later. Redux is one of three retirements
plans in effect based on an Airmen's date of initial entry to the uniformed
service and currently applies to more than 92 percent of the active force.

For information about CSB visit www.afpc.randolph.af.mil and type "Career
Status Bonus" or "Redux" into the search engine, or call the Total Force
Service Center at (800) 525-0102.