Take command of your future; make sure records are in order

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Matthew Lloyd
  • 9th ARS acting commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  One of the great frustrations for any leader is when they can’t get a great assignment or secure a key position for a real sharp troop. Even more frustrating is when a leader can’t get that deserving Airman a promotion or profesional military education opportunity.

Often, this happens due to problems with an individual’s records. In many instances, these problems are avoidable when an individual takes charge of their career by taking charge of their records. I would like to suggest a few simple ways any individual can do just that.

You should regularly check your Single Unit Retrieval Format for accuracy. This document can be accessed at the Air Force Personnel Center website thru the Assignment Management System. The SURF is a one page summary of your career, and it is used frequently by commanders to get a quick picture of an individual. You want to be sure it has the most up to date information and accurately reflects your duty title, duty history, awards and decorations, and Air Force Specialty Codes.

In addition to your SURF, you should periodically check your Record of Performance. There are two sets to check—the record at your current duty station and your master record on file at AFPC.

You want to make sure each has all of your officer performance reports/enlisted performance reports and training reports and all of the decorations you have been awarded. It is important to check both because each is used by different decision makers in different ways.

For example, your duty station record is used by commanders and senior leaders to make local personnel and promotion related decisions. Your record at AFPC is used by assignment teams and is the actual record which meets a promotion board.

It can not be emphasized enough how important it is to check your SURF and ROP on a regular basis—not just a couple of months before a promotion board.

Besides allowing adequate time to make any necessary corrections, there are many decisions with career implications made outside the promotion process which may use those documents at any time.

Another significant way to take charge of your career is to be more than a bystander in the OPR/EPR process. You should know when your next report is due and you should know who your rater is.

All year long you should be diligent in tracking not just what you accomplish, but how well you did it and the impact of what you did.

The more you can give your rater when he or she asks for inputs the better the report they will be able to write. Your participation does not stop there—keep track of that report as it moves through the system until it is in your records. You can help your rater and squadron staff ensure your report doesn’t fall through the cracks.

Now, you may be saying to yourself, “Shouldn’t my supervisor be doing these things?” Absolutely! But this isn’t about relieving a supervisor of his or her responsibility to take care of their people. This is about you taking personal command of your future. Your commanders will do everything they can to help you succeed and meet your goals, but they need your help to make sure your records are in order.