Air Force Writing Examples
In the Air Force we're constantly confronted with new challenges and responsibilities. We're frequently expected to meet critical administrative requirements on short notice, often for the very first time. To make these tasks even harder, there is often no documentation or examples to follow. Not many things are as frustrating as wanting to do your job well but not having the tools to do so. This community website was established to provide those tools and help our peers overcome obstacles to success.
The Enlisted Performance Report
The EPR is the most important document you will encounter during your military career. That single document, the AF Form 910, affects your chances for promotion, your pay, your assignment options, and your entire future in the military. And yet most people don't give it the attention it deserves. Many of us just aren't ambitious and care more about doing a good job at work than about promoting our own careers. We care more about doing our share than about trying to make ourselves look better than our peers. And that's natural. But ultimately, it's wrong. You have to take care of yourself. While you're working overtime to help make sure the mission gets done, others are working just as hard to get promoted ahead of you. So it's important that you take the time to do a good job on your and your troops' EPR. A lot depends on it. It's one of those necessary nusiances. But using the materials provided on our EPR page should make the job a lot easier. More on the Air Force EPR...
Awards and Decorations
Another important method for recognizing and rewarding our Airmen's contributions are medals. Submitting someone for a medal is one of the easiest yet most effective things a supervisor can do. Not only do you get to express your appreciation for someone who deserves it, the person who was recommended is ecstatic that someone recognized their efforts and took the time to make the recommendation. And the promotion points are an added bonus. If you've never submitted someone for a decoration before it might seem complicated but it's not. All awards have specific requirements and follow a prescribed format which is outlined in the applicable AFI (AFI 36-2803, The Air Force Awards and Decorations program). All that needs to be done is to fill in the details. But sometimes it's hard to get started, to accurately convey what you want to say. That's where we come in. We're in the process of collecting awards and decoration examples to make the job easier. So far, we have basic instructions for preparing the most commonly awarded medals and quite a few examples of properly written citations. More on Air Force Awards and Decorations...
The Letter of Appreciation
Recommending someone for a medal isn't the only way to recognize someone's contributions. At the lower end of the recognition spectrum is the humble Letter of Appreciation. Although widely considered less meaningful than an Achievement Medal or other decoration because of the promotion points, a Letter of Appreciation can still be very effective! Letters of Appreciation can have just as much or even more impact as decorations. After all, Letters of Appreciation are awarded for genuine accomplishments which is not always the case with medals. When a person receives a Letter of Appreciation, they know they've accomplished something! I strongly endorse the use of Letters of Appreciation as a recognition tool. It costs nothing but a few minutes of your time, they're easy to process, and they pay big dividends in pride and loyalty. For examples and format, see our Air Force Letter of Appreciation examples.
The Letter of Counseling
We know how to recognize good behavior. We write solid EPRs, express our gratitude in Letters of Appreciation, or submit deserving members for medals. But how do we deal with bad behavior? This is one of the supervisor's most difficult duties. It's tough to make the decision to document substandard behavior and it's awkward to describe that behavior in writing. There are a range of disciplinary options available but the most common and useful tool for this purpose is the Air Force Letter of Counseling. We are collecting examples of Letters of Counseling (in AF Form 174 or letterhead format) and other information related to LOCs that might be useful. More info on the Air Force Letter of Counseling...
