16G2 Career Guide
16G2: Air Force Plans and Programs Officer
Career transition guide for Air Force Air Force Plans and Programs Officer (16G2)
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Top civilian roles for 16G2 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Management Analyst
Skills to develop:
Program Manager
Skills to develop:
Policy Analyst
Skills to develop:
Operations Research Analyst
Skills to develop:
Emergency Management Director
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 16G2 training built — and where they transfer.
System Modeling
As a 16G2, you constructed models of Air Force operations and resource allocation to predict outcomes and identify potential issues with plans, programs, and policies.
This ability to build and manipulate system models translates directly into analyzing complex business processes, supply chains, or market dynamics to forecast trends and optimize performance.
Resource Optimization
You programmed resource allocation within the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS), balancing needs against available resources to maximize war-fighting capabilities.
This experience makes you adept at identifying inefficiencies, streamlining workflows, and ensuring resources are used effectively to achieve organizational goals, a critical skill in any business environment.
Adversarial Thinking
In developing Air Force, joint, or combined plans, you anticipated potential challenges and considered the perspectives and actions of adversaries to formulate effective countermeasures.
This translates into the ability to identify potential risks, anticipate competitor strategies, and develop robust plans to mitigate threats and capitalize on opportunities in the civilian sector.
Procedural Compliance
Your role involved executing planning processes based on strict defense guidance, HQ USAF policies, and joint services directives, ensuring adherence to established procedures.
This rigorous adherence to procedures makes you well-suited to roles where compliance with regulations and standards is paramount, like quality assurance, regulatory affairs, or project management.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Business Intelligence Analyst
SOC 15-2051.00You've been developing and writing complex plans, programs, and policies, which required you to analyze large amounts of data and understand complex systems. As a Business Intelligence Analyst, you'll use these same skills to interpret data, identify trends, and provide insights that inform business decisions.
Management Consultant
SOC 13-1111.00You've been coordinating plans between staff agencies and ensuring coherent planning efforts, honing your ability to identify inefficiencies and develop solutions. As a Management Consultant, you'll use this expertise to help organizations improve their performance and achieve their goals.
Emergency Management Director
SOC 11-9161.00You've been developing plans that are responsive to Air Force doctrine and exploiting war-fighting capabilities. As an Emergency Management Director, you will develop and implement emergency preparedness plans and procedures, leveraging your planning and strategic thinking skills.
Financial Risk Analyst
SOC 13-2051.00You've programmed resource allocation according to the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS), giving you a strong foundation in financial analysis and risk assessment. As a Financial Risk Analyst, you'll use these skills to identify and mitigate financial risks for organizations.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Officer Training School (OTS), Maxwell Air Force Base, followed by Plans and Programs Course, various locations
Topics Covered
- •Air Force Doctrine
- •Joint Planning Process
- •Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS)
- •Air Force Resource Management
- •Policy Development and Implementation
- •Strategic Planning
- •Contingency Planning
- •Defense Acquisition
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
While experienced in planning and execution, study the specific project management methodologies, tools, and terminology defined by PMI. Focus on areas like risk management, stakeholder management, and project lifecycle phases outside of military planning cycles.
Requires knowledge of governmental accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards, which may differ from military financial practices. Study GASB standards and federal financial regulations.
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Joint Operation Planning and Execution System (JOPES) | Project Management Software (e.g., Microsoft Project, Asana) |
| Automated Deep Operations Coordination System (ADOCS) | Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) software |
| Deliberate Crisis Action Planning and Execution Segments (DCAPES) | Business Continuity Planning software |
| Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution System (PPBES) | Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems with budgeting modules (e.g., SAP, Oracle) |
| Contingency Operations Support Tool (COST) | Cost Estimation and Analysis software (e.g., Sage Estimating) |
| Defense Readiness Reporting System (DRRS) | Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Analytics platforms (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) |
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