Every Airman has a personal career counselor

Chief Master Sgt. Darryl Evetts
435th Air Base Wing Chief Career Assistance Advisor

Chief Master Sgt. Darryl Evetts
435th Air Base Wing Chief Career Assistance Advisor

“Do I need a Career Job Reservation? How do I apply for retraining and when can I reenlist?” These are some questions Airmen may encounter throughout their military career.
From reenlistments to retraining, and career job reservations to commissioning opportunities, today’s Airmen face a multitude of career decisions.
Every Airman needs help gathering the facts, exploring opportunities and making important career decisions. Every Airman deserves – and has – a personal career counselor.
NCOs must provide career counseling to subordinates on benefits, entitlements and opportunities.
“Supervisors have been given the role of career advisor for their subordinates,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Leon, 435th Air Base Wing career assistance advisor, during a career counseling class. “They know their subordinates. They know their strengths, experience, skills, needs and ambitions. In most cases, the supervisor is in the same career field.”
Supervisors need to career counsel their subordinates informally and formally. As supervisors become aware of changes to entitlements, benefits or programs, they should pass that information on to their subordinates.
For example, one of the most recent and significant program changes affecting enlisted troops is the reinstatement of the Career Job Reservation program for first-term Airmen. Supervisors need to help their first-term Airmen understand how this program applies to them.
Career counseling is required in conjunction with mandatory performance feedback, as well as when an individual comes up for quality review under the selective reenlistment program.
It’s been four years since the Air Force implemented the career assistance advisor position and there’s still some confusion about their roles in career counseling.
Supervisors have been tasked to provide their subordinates career counseling and CAAs have been tasked to inform, educate and train supervisors to fulfill their career counseling responsibilities. With counselors doing their parts, they can help Airmen make well-informed career decisions.