LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Still want to serve your country but without the active-duty commitment? There is a program for that and it is called the Palace Chase.
Palace Chase is a program that allows Airmen to transition from active duty to the Air Force Reserve, after serving at least half of the enlistment for enlisted and two-thirds for officers.
Some want to keep their military commitment, but want more time that active duty doesn't give them, time to work on schooling or time to work on stability in the home.
"Personnel apply for this program because they want to attend college fulltime and use their Montgomery GI Bill," said Master Sgt. Neil Lambrecht, 1st Force Support Squadron in-service reserve recruiter. "Another reason is to be closer to home and have the ability to stay in one location for longer than a few years."
Other reasons to switch to the Reserve include keeping benefits, such as medical and dental coverage, life insurance, and the option of a retirement.
"The reason I ended up putting in for Palace Chase is because we didn't want to keep moving around," Sergeant Lambrecht said. "I had been offered a civilian job, but still wanted to keep all my benefits and keep serving in the Air Force."
Sergeant Lambrecht also said it provided stability for his family.
Those who are approved for the program will have their Reserve duty time doubled.
Since its establishment in 1972, approximately 5,000 applicants a year have transitioned into the Reserves through Palace Chase according to the Air Force Personnel Center Palace Chase Office. While the program is non-restrictive by career field, certain guidelines apply.
An applicant can be denied due to manning requirements. To be eligible for Palace Chase, the applicant cannot be scheduled for a deployment or a permanent change-of-station and must have a score of at least three on the last five of the enlisted performance reports. Sergeant Lambrecht is available to help work through any paperwork or any problems someone may have.
"My job is to help the Airmen through the entire process from beginning to end, making sure they are taken care of," said Sergeant Lambrecht.
Local recruiters walk applicants through the paper trail, ensuring commander approval, Air Force Personal Center approval and finally ensuring a Reserve job is secured for the applicant.
Attesting to this is Airman 1st Class Dustin Bagley, 94th Aircraft Maintenance Unit aircraft armament systems specialist, who came to Sergeant Lambrecht to receive his help switching to the Air Force Reserve. "Sergeant Lambrecht really helped me get the ball rolling," said Airman Bagley. "He helped me through the whole process and it went smoothly."
For additional details regarding the Palace Chase program, visit Sergeant Lambrecht on the 1st floor of the Career Development Center Suite 101, e-mail neil.lambrecht@langley.af.mil or call (757) 846-7532.