LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- The Air Force chief of staff has directed all major commands issue Air and Space Expeditionary Force identification cards before the beginning of Cycle 5 in September.
AEF ID card usage was stopped during the height of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom because six to eight AEFs were deployed simultaneously, according to Col. Vincent Wisniewski, AEF Center vice commander.
Reissuing the cards will again link every Airman to his or her assigned deployment window within Cycle 5.
The cards provide predictability and stability by allowing Airmen to plan around deployments to schedule leave, professional military education and TDYs, according to Chief Master Sgt. David Mimms, superintendent for AEF Matters, Headquarters Air Force, deputy chief of staff for air and space operations. The cards are conveniently sized to print and keep in a wallet or purse for easy reference. The front of the card tells Airmen their assigned AEF pair and the back shows the new 20-month cycle chart, which begins in September.
Some low density/high demand forces and stressed career fields may be postured in several AEFs as needed for extended tours, Colonel Wisniewski said. These forces are considered enabler capabilities. Due to the higher operations tempo required for these forces they may not rotate on the normal four-month schedule. The affected MAJCOMS and Air Reserve Component are working to determine the best way to issue cards to Airmen in enabler billets.
Airmen who do not fall into the enabler category are assigned to only one AEF during an AEF cycle, in accordance with Air Force Policy Document 10-4, Chief Mimms said. To add discipline to this process, a MAJCOM vice commander waiver is required to move an Airman from one AEF to another.
One of my top priorities is to ensure the AEF culture is as clear and predictable as possible for all Airmen, said Brig. Gen. Stephen Hoog, AEF Center commander. Reissuing AEF ID cards is one way we can do that.
The AEF ID card template and implementation guidance are posted on the AEF Center Web site: https://aefcenter.acc.af.mil (the Web site must be accessed from a .mil computer).