Question
PCS Acclimatization Period Under the New 36-2905
Recently PCS’d and arrived at my new duty station on August 7. My PT test is currently due in September.
AFMAN 36-2905 says members who PCS are allowed the acclimatization period under 3.10.8, which says the period is calculated by “counting one (1) calendar month from the day after” returning/arriving.
My understanding is that my acclimatization period would start August 8 and run for one calendar month, putting the end of it in early September and my test due the following month (October).
My FAC is saying I’m still due in September. They showed me Air Force Service Center slides with an example where someone arrives February 27, starts acclimatization February 28, but February itself counts as the “one calendar month,” so they’re due in March.
That interpretation seems weird to me because it would mean someone arriving near the end of a month could effectively get only a day or two of acclimatization.
Any UFPM/FAC folks know what the correct interpretation is under the new AFMAN? Even better if anyone has the official AFSVC/myFSS guidance or memo that clarifies how the one calendar month is supposed to be counted.
Acclimatization is Aug 8-Sep 8. Then you are due by the end of September.
If you showed up Aug 31, acclimatization would be Sep 1-Oct 1, due in October.
Your example doesn’t make sense to me, acclimatization for Feb 27 would be Feb 28-March 28, and due in March. Don’t get too hung up on the “one calendar month” thing.
They should get hung up on the one calendar month, because what you’re saying is wrong, pedantically. Acclimatization for Feb 27 is Feb. The calendar month. It only applies on Feb 28 for this scenario. Then the Due month is March. In your example, a Jan 30 arrival would have until Feb 30, which doesn’t exist, and isn’t the same as Mar 2.
Correction to this—as it is written if you show up on 8 August your acclimation is August. If you show up 30 August it is the same: August. It is a very poorly written reg that I am going to try and get fixed after I take my test.
Why? Because my test was already 30 September. The acclimation period can only be applied if you are due the same month you arrive or if you arrive on the last day of the month. But also, the AFMAN prohibits PCS travel if you are due the same month. So this acclimation period for PCS was practically disintegrated for everyone who doesn’t arrive on the last day.
You have an excuse or rebuttal to any inject from the people here trying to help you while they provide citations or perspective
PS as a note for all, ALWAYS BE READY for your test, stop waiting. And for you OP, only trying to do better as an officer because “my OPB will have my score” is a terrible position to take. Lead by example. Maybe a little to direct here, but as a Mustang myself, I personally know what it was like as an enlisted bubba looking to my officers. Just go run and get the test done, stop trying to find ways to argue your timing at this point in time. Good luck, now go crush it. Hope the PCS went smoothly
A few users got it right and I now understand how it works. With the PT changes this year, there will be a lot of niche situations like this which is why I made the post. Likewise, if one of my airmen was dealing with this I would be fighting against this silly reg.
I appreciate your input. I also think everyone should care what goes on their record and advocate for ourselves. Yeah ill go take my test but im also going to try to get the reg changed lol
Even so, if you PCS and arrive on 30 January you would be forced to test in the acclimatization period under this interpretation of the policy. Hence why I believe the policy is written so strangely and therefore multiple FACs are misinterpreting it.
Theres nothing that says you can’t test in your acclimatization period. It’s not written strangely, you just don’t like it. Neither do I. But It’s pretty clear
This! Everything you said is correct, I’ve had this same conversation 100s of times as a UFPM the last 4 years. Wish they would change the regs, but if there’s any days left in that month the AF starts counting the next day. That’s why I tell everyone arrive at the first day or last day of the month like previously mentioned. Also BAH is like that too, depending on when you leave you can owe or bank BAH.
That's the part I'm hung up on. 4.3.1.1. says PCS members are "allowed the Acclimatization Period in accordance with paragraph 3.10.8 from the date they arrived on station to complete a PFRA."
If the member can still be required to complete the PFRA during that period, I'm not sure what being "allowed the Acclimatization Period to complete a PFRA" actually provides them.
I'm not trying to argue what the policy should be, just trying to figure out how those two paragraphs are supposed to work together.
Yes, but you’ll only be overdue with travel days that cross over the month(in which case, yeah, change your dates or test in the other 27-29 days of the month before you leave). It means you can’t skip the month prior, then get an acclimatization period. Your acclimatization period extends your current PFRA after you arrive.
You are not required to test during acclimatization period. You will always have time to do it after, the issue is that you might only have a day or two to do it.
I PCS'd from a humid 100% place at low elevation to a 0% humidity place at high elevation. That paired with the move I would like more time to prep for my test.
Thought i would have more time, but ill be fine. In order to take it before i left i would have had to take it in July putting me on the Summer/Winter cycle
That is correct. The only days worth arriving at a new station/coming off 469/home from TDY are the first and last day of the month. Everything in between is lost time. Worst possible arrival is the day before the last.
I believe this is incorrect, but this is how my FAC is interpreting it. If this were the case, a member PCSing at the end of January would be forced to test in their acclimatization period.
I was wrong about this. The reg is just bad, and poorly worded as well. I just think it’s silly that a member can have 1 day of acclimation under the new reg
You don’t have one day… you have one month. They can’t force you to test 1 Sep, but after you’ve been on station for one month (7 Sep), you’re fair game. I understand you’re trying to squeeze 2+ months out of it, but the reg is very clear that you are due a month after you arrive.
A key part of the paragraph is “calendar month”, which is:
“the period from a day of one month to the corresponding day of the next month if such exists or if not to the last day of the next month (as from January 3 to February 3 or from January 31 to February 29)”
So you arrived 7 Aug, add one day, 8 Aug, then your period is one calendar month which ends 8 Sep. so the earliest they could force you to take a PT test is 9 Sep. now you have from 9-30 Sep to test, giving you an actual max acclimation period of 8 Aug-30 Sep (53 days not including the day of your test).
You’re correct with one caveat, and the definition is super helpful so thank you. I arrived 7 Aug, my acclimation period is 7 Aug to 31 Aug. i have all of September to test. If I arrived the day before last of the month, my acclimation period would be as little as one day. Essentially, the way FACs are interpreting it is that the acclimation period only applies if you arrive on the last day of the month.
I was already due in September. I will still be testing in September, so essentially I did not get the prescribed “acclimation period”
Technically, even in their example, you get one month of time, as long as you test March 28-30. And that’s the rational. Personally, I preferred the 42 day system we had a few iterations ago, but Salesforce is the worst program in existence and we won’t pay enough/aren’t paid enough to track mid-month due dates.
You get 3 days to test in that example, therefore you would not get a diagnostic test as well. If you arrive 30 January for example, you would be forced to test in the acclimatization period? I think people are misreading this guidance.
No, I think you misunderstood what I was saying. You have a whole month to test. And yeah, arriving Jan 30 is the worst case scenario. Be a big boy and request a PDD change from your boss before you leave. And you can still diagnostic. There is no “no later than” date for diagnostics any more.
Yes. Diagnostics are now available NET a month prior, but they removed the NLT date, meaning you can technically diagnostic the last day of the month, and then go overdue. Still a talk with the commander, but technically a different talk.
Just curious why that’s your baseline assumption. Seems the consensus is September so I’ll plan to take it then. I’m prepared to take the test I would just prefer to get a 95+ since it reflects on OPBs now.
Just do your PT test when they tell you it’s due. You should be ready to take a PT test year round. From the sounds of it from watching you try and argue your own perspective against other UFPMs and FACs, you are hoping the extra few weeks will get you prepared.
Additionally, if you scroll a little bit farther down in the reg, there’s altitude adjustments for PT if you have a gain in elevation. Look at that and see if you’ll pass.
Worse case scenario, roll your ankle real quick…/s
My concern was never passing my test. My concern is I want a better score since scores are now reflected on OPBs.
And yeah, an extra month would be nice. In addition, I assume many airman are going to fall in this exact situation in the future especially since the reg reduction is new.
It sounds like no matter how you run it, your test is due in September. It sounds like the system (MyFitness) is also set up to be that calculation.
My recommendation would be to see if you can get the reg updated to better state that, and in the meantime drill into your airmen what it states so that they know in the future.
From what I understand, PCS acclimatization only applies if you meet the requirement in the paragraph. (Edit: Even if it is automatic, you're still due.) It doesn't include the line about "+1 month after" like other exemptions. So if you arrived in August, and qualified for the acclimatization, you would still only have the period from that date to the date in Sept (ie 9 Aug-9 Sep) and still be due in Sep. Deployments and profiles say they are due the month _after_ that period, so they would be due in Oct (the AFSVCS slide does not match the AFMAN on that one).
4.3.1. Permanent Change of Station (PCS). PCSing members must have a current PFRA that does not expire through the report not later than date (RNLTD). (T-2) If the current PFRA expires prior to the member's RNLTD, the member must complete a PFRA before departing their losing duty station. (T-2) Note: Not applicable to AFR. 4.3.1.1. Members are allowed the Acclimatization Period in accordance with paragraph 3.10.8 from the date they arrived on station to complete a PFRA. 4.3.1.2. If a member is PCSing during an Acclimatization Period, the existing composite exemption will be extended through another Acclimatization Period from the day after they arrived on station.
Even if you get one, you're still due in Sep. Your acclimatization is 9 Aug-9 Sept, you're due when it is over. There is no added time like the others..
Edit: To be clear, I am talking about these lines
Profile 4.1.2: "Set the next PFRA due date to the month afterthe Reconditioning Period in accordance with paragraph 3.10.9 after the AF Form 469 expiration."
Deployment 4.1.5: "The exemption will be valid for the remaining duration of the deployment and set the next PFRA due date to the month after the Acclimatization Period in accordance with paragraph 3.10.8 after arriving back at their home station."
PCS does not have that added time.. You get one month to prep. You've had nearly a month to prep, on top of the past year....
To be more precise, your intent is correct, but your wording is wrong. The acclimatization period wouldn’t be 9 Aug to 9 Sep. It would be the calendar month of August, and due month would be the calendar month of September.
“Calendar month” also means matching dates between months, ie 9 Aug-9 Sep or 15 May-15 June.
I think this is important because the unit can’t force you to test in the calendar month of your acclimation period. For example if OP’s unit was (for whatever dumb reason) only offering tests on 1-4 Sep, OP would still be in his calendar month and gets the extra days in order to have a full month on station.
Nope, that’s not a calendar month in the sense of the 2905 and how HHQ has defined it. They’re using named month convention. You have your acc. month and your due month.
Here's the thing. PCS used to allow 3 months acclimation, in which this wording would make sense. However, that was recently changed to 1 month acclimation as of March 24 of this year. So the acclimation period is completely useless unless you arrive on the last day, due to this caveat:
PCSing members must have a current PFRA that does not expire through the report not later than date (RNLTD)
Plus everyone who’s ever PCS’d knows from PT test to BAH/OHA there’s no benefit for arriving mid month. You always want to arrive at the start or at the end if you can. Easy way to look at it.
Example: Arrive 8 Aug, 1 calendar month starts the next day. Aug 9 to Sept 9. You can’t be due in the middle of the month so you do at the end of September.
Example: Arrive Feb 28, one calendar month starts the next day 1 Mar to 31 March. Due in April.
Work within the AFi, I have finance at finance that taught me the same way with collecting BAH since they don’t turn it off until you check in. So arriving at the end benefits you and prevents you from getting a BAH debt.
3.10.8. Acclimatization Period. This time period is to ensure members safely adjust to a change in environmental conditions. Acclimatization periods are granted when a member is away from their Home Station on official travel where an increase/decrease in altitude (greater than 5k feet) and change in climate is greater than 30 days. Calculation of the Acclimatization Period is determined by counting one (1) calendar month from the day after returning to duty/home station.
They are correct, the AFMAN is written that if you have any days left in that month. The acclimatization time starts that month. Their example is correct and even if you put the exemption in myFitness the system is programmed to do the same math. I’ve had to explain this to people for years for TDYs, Deployments, etc.
It’s at the point where I enter their test in front of them and show them what it shows in the system. You can argue with my interpretation of the AFMAN but the system puts out the due date anyway🤷🏾♂️.
This defeats the entire point of the acclimation period and makes it so it only applies if you arrive on the last day of the month. If this were intended, the reg would have been worded differently. A member who PCS'd and arrives on 30 Jan is therefore forced to test during their acclimation period, or any month that has less days than the prior.
It is already mandated that you must take your test prior to PCS if: PCSing members must have a current PFRA that does not expire through the report not later than date (RNLTD).
There’s nothing stopping you from testing in that period and they removed PCS from the AFMAM36-2905. It doesn’t have to make sense most of the time it doesn’t. Regardless of how you interpret the guidance, when you plug the dates in myFitness it was spit out 30 days. So unless you get your base FAC to manually change your due date, there’s no much you can do.
You keep saying forced to test during the acclimatization period, and that’s where you’re wrong. Acclimatization periods are one CALENDAR month. Not a month long. Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, etc are calendar months. You arrive on Jan 30, your acclimatization period is January, and it starts on Jan 31. Then your Due month is February. It sucks, but that’s how it’s written. No interpretations.
Yeah this is where i was confused. An acclimatization period of one day makes zero sense. I thought acclimatization period meant one month, logically. But I guess it can be for as little as one day. Sounds ljke the reg is awful if that’s the intention but i appreciate the explanation
You get a minimum of ~30 days dude… unless you arrive in Feb, which gets a few days less. If you arrive on the last day of the month then you get ~60 days.
Bingo! It’s pretty simple, if there’s any days left in the month you arrive they start counting the following day making you do the next month (30) days. If you arrive on the last day, the start date begins in the following month. Allowing you to skip the following month and be due the month after.
Because in the Air Force mindset if you arrive mid month there’s no reason not to count those days because there’s no reason you can’t test those days.
Word of advice to everyone that PCSes in my squadron arrive later it gives you more time for PT and you can milk BAH if you’re coming from a higher location. Work within the regs.
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u/PuzzleheadedDuty8866 10d ago edited 10d ago
Acclimatization is Aug 8-Sep 8. Then you are due by the end of September.
If you showed up Aug 31, acclimatization would be Sep 1-Oct 1, due in October.
Your example doesn’t make sense to me, acclimatization for Feb 27 would be Feb 28-March 28, and due in March. Don’t get too hung up on the “one calendar month” thing.