Online plan helps Airmen chart their course

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Monique Jose-Duvall
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (ACCNS) --  The Air Force Portal is putting Airmen in control of their careers with the My Enlisted Development Plan, or myEDP. Although myEDP has been operational for two years, many Airmen aren't aware of it, or how it can impact their careers. 

Users can find myEDP under the career links category of Air Force Link on the Portal main page. Once the user accesses the page, they need to fill out some basic info. Then they can start using myEDP. Airman can then access their development summary, education info, ancillary and upgrade training, and promotion information. 

Some senior non-commissioned officers recognize the value a program like myEDP brings to the entire Air Force. "It was a good reference. Immediately I saw its value. It works for the Airmen walking out of tech school on up to the commander heading the group, said Senior Master Sgt. Charles Frizell, 1st Medical Group." 

MyEDP can be useful for Airmen to envision their careers on a big-picture scale, instead of just completing things for their current pay grades. 

Sergeant Frizzell had been using myEDP for over a year, and called it "a great resource for personnel who want to really look to the future, maybe not necessarily two years from now, or four years from now, but maybe even twenty years from now." 

Senior Airman Hal Freebern Jr, a frequency manager with the ACC/A6OF, is new to myEDP, but realizes he can use it on a daily basis."It is great for the education and training, job and then leadership, which is like I said, stuff it takes to be an Airman." 

Some Airmen are using myEDP because it gives them the direction they need. "It really gives people who are considering the Air Force a career, but don't necessarily know which way to go, and it just gives more information about whatever you are looking for" said Tech. Sgt. Christopher Turner.  "For someone who is really trying to understand what it is they are a part of in the Air Force, it really maps it out for them."

Another benefit to myEDP is that it can assist Airmen with plotting out their future career maps.  "I'm a Tech right now," said Tech. Sgt. Barbara Thompson."But what I'll do is I'll click on the tab for master sergeants and I can look and see what they expect from master sergeants in the enlisted development plan." 

Another great feature of myEDP is the personal journal. It is like getting mentoring through the virtual world.
"You can just go in, and it's no threat, said Sergeant Thompson. "You can go in and just ask a question, and a lot of times, senior master sergeants and chiefs will come back and answer the questions." 

Airmen can use the journal to track EPRs or projects that they are working. Some of the other topics users can find in the forums include anything from new base information and SRB updates in the general section, to finding a mentor in the mentoring section. 

Airmen can use myEDP for a multitude of tasks, but the difference between myEDP and getting this information from a supervisor is you are taking advantage of sources of information across the entire Air Force. 

"You can track so many things with that journal. Whether it is EPR stuff or projects you are going to do,"said Sergeant Frizzell It's not limited to your supervisor or anything like that. You can jump ahead or you can contact somebody you worked with at a different base," he added.

 "I'm trying to incorporate it into our entire section where everybody is participating. It's a great way for us to stay connected and to really keep track of ourselves."