From the Chief: Developmental Special Duties Published July 17, 2013 By Chief Master Sgt. James A. Cody Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force WASHINGTON, DC. -- Much has happened over the past five and a half months since I've taken the reigns as your Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. We've faced and will continue to face some very significant challenges, none the less each of you continue to do amazing things day in and out to accomplish the mission...Thank You. In my initial letter to Airmen I spoke about the importance of deliberate development. We've been looking at the development of each of you from the Training, Education, and Experience perspectives. The focus of this specific effort looked at ensuring we have the right enlisted Airmen in the right Special Duties both inside and outside their primary career fields. These positions have been designated as "Developmental Special Duties." Going forward, we will adjust the way we select Airmen for these positions. These developmental special duties are critical to the health and development of our enlisted force. They include First Sergeants, Career Assistance Advisors, Military Training Instructors, Military Training Leaders, Professional Military Education Instructors, Recruiters, Academy Military Training NCOs, AF Honor Guard NCOs, and Airmen and Family Readiness NCOs as well as Specialty Training Instructors identified with a T-prefix. These positions impact Airmen at every level, from the moment they first step on Lackland Air Force Base to the latter stages of a distinguished Air Force career. We must ensure the right Airmen are in these special positions. We must get this right. We will now fill these positions through a nominative process. Commanders will nominate their best performers, and personnel teams will work with career field leaders to ensure we select the right people and right numbers for these opportunities. I understand and anticipate that many of our sharpest Airmen will continue to raise their hand for these developmental special duties. I encourage those Airmen to let their leadership know if they are interested, however it in no way guarantees a nomination as only the best will be considered. A nomination to a developmental special duty assignment is an honor - it expresses a commander's confidence in an Airmen. At the same time, it ensures our very best Airmen are in the position to deliberately develop our enlisted force and will return these Airmen to their career fields with greater experience under their belt. Our Air Force continues to evolve and we must ensure our processes keep pace. We are extremely proud of all the Airmen who have successfully served and serve today in these special duties. This process will ensure we Continue to meet the needs of our Air Force and Airmen.