Do you understand CJR process? Published April 6, 2006 By Master Sgt. Thallassa Gunelius Travis Team Career Assistance Advisor TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Are you up to speed on the career job reservation process? Do you know how this program impacts you or the Airmen you supervise? Do you know when the CJR window opens and closes? All first-term Airmen must have an approved CJR prior to reenlisting in the Air Force. Limiting CJRs in certain career fields is an Air Force initiative intended to balance the force and is meant to encourage Airmen in constrained or overmanned career fields to retrain into career fields where shortages exist. Applying for a CJR is not a promise to reenlist but merely saves a “spot” in people’s current AFSC should they decide to reenlist. There is a specific “window” when all first-term Airmen should apply for their CJR. The application window for four-year enlistees is the first day of the 35th month of enlistment through the last day of the 43rd month of enlistment. The CJR window for six-year enlistees opens on the first day of the 59th month and closes the last day of the 67th month of enlistment. Whether Airmen are four-year or six year enlistees, the CJR window opens on the first day of the 13th month prior to their date of separation and closes on the last day of the fifth month prior to their DOS. Fourteen months prior to an Airman’s DOS, the orderly room will receive a RIP and the commander will either recommend or not recommend him for reenlistment under the Selective Reenlistment Program. If the recommendation is reenlistment, the Airman will receive a RIP notifying him that it’s time to apply for a CJR and exactly when his window is. Airmen do not have to wait to receive their CJR RIP to start the process. Airmen who are in their CJR window contact their orderly room to start the process. Airmen who are in a career field that is not constrained will simply take the paperwork to reenlistments at the military personnel flight and they’ll update the computer with their approved CJR. Reenlistment eligible FTA in constrained or overmanned AFSCs will be placed on a CJR waiting list. These Airmen will compete for monthly quotas using a rank order process that will consider the following factors: unfavorable information file [automatic disqualifying factor], top three enlisted performance reports, grade, projected grade, date of rank, total active federal military service date and date of birth. This means that FTA who are serving in career fields that are currently constrained may not be allowed to reenlist, unless they are approved to retrain into another specialty where a shortage exists or have applied for and been selected for a special-duty assignment. Airmen who are in an AFSC that is constrained should strongly consider retraining into one of the many career fields available that have shortages to fill. If they do not want to retrain, they should consider applying for a special-duty assignment; however, they are still encouraged to apply for a CJR as a back-up. It’s imperative for those who are in a constrained AFSC and would like to stay in their current career field to apply for their CJR as soon as their window opens. People who wait until the last minute to apply will not have as many opportunities to compete. A list of constrained Air Force specialties and quotas are available at the Travis Team Professional Enhancement Center, which can be accessed via the Travis Intranet under the information tab. Those not approved for retraining or a special-duty assignment and those who do not receive a CJR will be projected for separation. Airmen are encouraged to continue serving the military with the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, through military civilian employment, or through an inter-service transfer to the Army via the “Blue-to-Green” program. For more information on these options, Visit the following Web sites. - Air Force Reserve www.afreserve.com - Air National Guard www.goang.com - Federal Civilian www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/afjobs - Army Blue-to-Green www.goarmy.com Airmen may also contact the military personnel flight reenlistment section at 424-5117 or their career assistance advisors at 424-STAY for more information.