Airmen will be able to access the Airman Handbook via a desktop icon slated to begin Dec. 18.

The Airman Handbook is a compilation of policies, procedures and standards that guide Airmen’s actions within the profession of arms.

Each desktop will have an icon with an e-Link to the handbook for easy and immediate access.

Kevin Denter, a Profession of Arms Center of Excellence professionalism program analyst, said the handbook is a professional development tool for all Airmen: active duty, Reserve, Guard, and civilian. 

“The handbook is an indispensable resource for Airmen to continue to learn, grow and propel our Air Force into the future,” Denter said. “It is a single publication that addresses important information on Air Force history, doctrine, values, customs, courtesies and much more.”

During the April 2014 biannual Enlisted Board of Directors meeting, a decision was made to combine the Professional Development Guide and Air Force Handbook into one publication so all Airmen would have a true desktop reference for the profession of arms. 

“The handbook provides reference material for the Promotion Fitness Examination and U.S. Air Force Supervisory Examination,” Denter said. “Specifically, individual enlisted promotion testing study guides were developed using information from the handbook.”

Denter further clarified that the handbook is published with all the information needed to effectively study for promotion. However, the study guides were developed so Airmen will not have to decipher what information is testable and what is not testable. The bottom line is that although both publications include similar information, the study guides are exclusively testable information for those studying for enlisted promotion.

“Since the Air Force is no longer printing the reference material required for promotion testing,” Denter continued, “the study guides were built to provide only testable information thus reducing the number of pages required if Airmen decide to print a copy at their expense.”

The study guides are available at www.studyguides.af.mil. 

“Airmen will now be only ‘one click’ away from this critical professional development tool,” Denter said.

For more information about professional development tools, visit http://www.airman.af.mil/Tools.aspx.