Captains, promotable first lieutenants and certain other members of the Army Competitive Category have until Jan. 15 to apply for the Voluntary Transfer Incentive Program, and possible reclassification to another career branch or functional area.
The second-quarter fiscal 2015 Voluntary Transfer Incentive Program panel is slated to meet March 16-20 at Human Resources Command.The results will be released by late April.
Manning requirements for the branches and functional areas of the Army Category are updated periodically, and are reflected in quarterly updates to "in/out" calls which indicate, by year group, which specialties are open and closed to transfers.
The most recent version of the calls reflect the declining transfer opportunities in many specialties, particularly the basic branches, because of the drawdown.
However, opportunities do exist in several specialty functional areas, including:
FA 24 (Telecommunications Systems Engineering)
FA 29 (Electronic Warfare)
FA 30 (Information Operations Officer)
FA 46 (Public Affairs)
FA 52 (Nuclear and Counter Proliferation)
FA 53 (Systems Automation)
Here are the basic zones of eligibility for Regular Army members of the Army Competitive Category. Not eligible are: warrant officers, reserve component officers and members of the Army Medical Department, Judge Advocate General's Corps and Chaplain Corps.
ACC officers who have been recalled to active duty, or who transferred to the Army from a sister service, are eligible for VTIP if they have served at least 12 months in their current branch or functional area since being recalled or assigned to the Army.
Here are the rank-specific eligibility requirements:
• Must be a first lieutenant promotable, captain or captain promotable as of Jan. 15. Officers may submit a request to transfer out of or into a basic branch or functional area.
• Majors with less than 14 years of active federal commissioned service may request transfer into a branch or functional area in which thy previously served.
• First lieutenants and captains enrolled in the branch detail program may request to remain in their detailed branch, provided they are in promotable status (on a selection list for captain or major) and within 12 months of their branch detail expiration date.
Officers who are approved for a branch or functional area transfer will incur active-duty service obligations for a permanent change of station move, and any training activities related to their reclassification.
Officers who want to be considered by the March VTIP panel should submit a DA Form 4187 (request for personnel action) to the Human Resources Command in accordance with the procedures described in MilPer Message 14-354, dated Dec. 10.
