An Air Force humanitarian reassignment moves an active-duty Airman or Space Force Guardian closer to home when a serious, short-term family crisis requires their physical presence, and it is granted under Department of the Air Force Instruction 36-2110. Roughly 75 percent of applications are approved, and the Air Force Personnel Center processes between 1,000 and 1,200 requests each year.1U.S. Air Force. Humanitarian Assignments Bring Airmen Close to Home, Help Them Be There The program assumes the crisis can be resolved within about 12 months; it is not a route to a permanent relocation.
Reassignment or Deferment
The same program covers two different actions. A humanitarian reassignment is a permanent change of station that places the Airman near the family emergency. A humanitarian deferment cancels or delays pending orders so the Airman can stay where they already are to deal with the situation.2Air Force’s Personnel Center. Humanitarian Assignments Considered for Airmen in Time of Need
Either way, the relief is temporary. Once approved, orders are coded for 12 months, protecting the Airman from temporary duty assignments and deployments during that window.1U.S. Air Force. Humanitarian Assignments Bring Airmen Close to Home, Help Them Be There Prolonged or permanent deferments are not available through this program.
Who Counts as Family
The program is open to active-duty Airmen and to Space Force Guardians, since a Space Force guidance memorandum applies DAFI 36-2110 to Guardians on the same terms.3U.S. Space Force. SPFGM 2025-36-02, Total Force Assignments
The family member at the center of the crisis must be one of the following:
- Spouse
- Child
- Parent, including stepparents and in-laws
- A person documented to have stood in loco parentis
- A household dependent who relies on the Airman for more than 50 percent of their financial support
Siblings generally do not qualify. A terminally ill sibling is the recognized exception, and the request can be forwarded as an exception to policy.4Air Force’s Personnel Center. Humanitarian Assignments Considered for Airmen in Time of Need
Situations That Typically Qualify
There is no rigid checklist. AFPC uses a whole-person review, and typical qualifying circumstances include the terminal illness of an eligible family member, the death of a spouse or child, the sexual assault of a spouse or child, and serious financial hardship such as the loss of a home to fire or natural disaster.
The Airman has to show that the problem is acute, that their physical presence is necessary to resolve it, and that emergency leave alone would not be enough. Kimberly Schuler, AFPC’s chief of humanitarian assignment policy, has said applicants must prove their situation “exceeds what an average Airman is going through.”5Air Force’s Personnel Center. Humanitarian Assignments Considered for Airmen in Time of Need
The Vacancy Requirement
A compelling personal case is not enough on its own. A Comptroller General ruling established that a humanitarian PCS must also meet Air Force mission needs, which means there has to be a valid, vacant authorization matching the Airman’s Air Force Specialty Code at the gaining base, and the Airman has to meet the retainability requirements for a PCS.4Air Force’s Personnel Center. Humanitarian Assignments Considered for Airmen in Time of Need If no matching vacancy exists at the closest installation, the reassignment cannot be approved. A deferment, which keeps the Airman in place, avoids this problem.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted online through myPers. The packet routes from the Airman through their commander’s office to the Total Force Service Center, which pre-screens it before sending it to the Humanitarian/Exceptional Family Members Program Assignments Branch at AFPC, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.1U.S. Air Force. Humanitarian Assignments Bring Airmen Close to Home, Help Them Be There
The burden of proof is on the applicant. Medical claims need clinical data that AFPC’s Medical Review Board can verify; legal matters such as custody disputes or property loss need supporting legal documentation for review by the Administrative Law Office. For the death of a spouse or child, a death certificate can move things along quickly.4Air Force’s Personnel Center. Humanitarian Assignments Considered for Airmen in Time of Need The most common reason packets come back is documentation. AFPC staff have said applications are frequently returned because clinical data “doesn’t quite support the claim” or because something the medical reviewers need is missing.6Air Force’s Personnel Center. Humanitarian Assignments Bring Airmen Close to Home
Once AFPC has a complete, pre-screened application, a decision usually takes two to four weeks. Delays almost always trace back to missing or thin documentation.
If the Request Is Denied
When a case does not clear the humanitarian threshold, AFPC’s team looks at alternatives that might still get the Airman closer to the family. Those options include a Base of Preference request or a follow-on assignment, which do not require the same acute-crisis showing.5Air Force’s Personnel Center. Humanitarian Assignments Considered for Airmen in Time of Need Airmen can also reach a personnel specialist through myPers live chat during business hours by navigating to the Humanitarian/EFMP link under Assignment Programs.