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Service Member FAQs

Below you will find a list of commonly asked questions. If you have a question that is not covered here, please contact the PFI Office at dfas.indianapolis-in.zh.mbx.pfi@mail.mil

General PFI Program Questions

From which Branches of Service are you accepting Guard & Reserve applicants?
Currently only Guard & Reserve Service Members from the Air Force and Army are eligible to perform PFI tours. Airmen must be in the Air Force Reserve, traditional drilling reservist or IMA, or the Air National Guard. Soldiers can be in either the US Army Reserve, traditional drilling reservist, IMA, or in the IRR or a member of the Army National Guard.
What type of orders is a PFI active duty order? Is this the AGR program? Will I be considered an active component service member?
The PFI order is under the authority of Title 10, 12301(d), which is commonly referred to as Active Duty for Operational Support (ADOS). This order authority is not the active guard reserve (AGR) program, and the service member is not accessed to the active component. Service members remain assigned to their guard or reserve units, need their chain-of-commands' approval to serve on an ADOS order, and can be recalled from a PFI tour if the unit commander needs the service member for mobilization.
Am I entitled to per diem for PFI tours?
If your tour is over 180 days, then no. Most all PFI tours are 1 year long and are considered Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves and receive the benefits that apply according to the Joint Federal Travel Regulation (JFTR). You would receive BAH based on your new duty location. We do have some tours that are less than 180 days and you would receive per diem and BAH would be based on your home of record.
Am I entitled to Dislocation Allowance (DLA), when I PCS?
If a member with no dependents PCS's and it is his/her first PCS move then he/she is not entitled to DLA. However, if a member with dependents PCS's and moves the family then they are entitled to DLA, even if it is the first PCS move. Please review the Joint Travel Regulation for the most up to date information on travel entitlements.
What location is my Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) based on?
If selected for a tour of 180 days or longer, your BAH is based on the duty location on the orders. If orders are under 180 days, then it is based on your Home of Record (HOR), which would be on the orders.
Do these orders count against 1825?
Yes, these orders do count towards the 1825 rule. The 2022 NDAA changed the ‘1095 rule’ to 1825 days or 5 years out of 6 years.
Do these orders qualify for reduced retirement?
Yes, these orders do count towards reduced retirement age. For more information, please reference DoDI 1215.07.
Do I have to attend drill or AT?
Soldiers and Airmen on Title 10 ADOS-AC orders via DFAS/PFI are not required to participate in IDT, AT, or other unit functions per DoD Instruction 1215.06 (the specific reference to drill in the DoDI: See Encloser 8, Paragraph 5, b, (9); " RC Service members performing ADOS will not attend IDT or AT with their unit of assignment.")

However, to help ensure your command releases you for future tours, Soldiers and Airmen should stay in good standing with their unit and should communicate with them while on tour. You should remain ready and green in all relevant areas such as, medical, physical fitness, online mandatory training, etc.
Why have I not received a response regarding my application for a PFI Tour?
Once PFI receives your application, it is sent to the DoD agency hiring point of contact (POC). It is up to the hiring agency to review the resumes, conduct any interviews, and select their top candidate(s). Once the hiring agency selects a candidate, PFI is notified and then works with the selected service member to bring them on active duty.
Unfortunately, timelines vary greatly with the agencies. Some act quickly, some do not. The agency may collect applications for a few months trying to find the best candidate with the required skills.
If you are not contacted by the agency, you can only assume you did not meet their criteria. PFI receives thousands of resumes each month and competition is high for these positions and agencies want to 'hire' someone who has the skills that will result in productivity toward their missions. Most of these are not entry level positions. For example, if you are applying for Project Manager and do not have project management experience; you will not be selected.
Be sure your resume and bio are a good representation of who you are and what you can do. Be specific and include details from past jobs or duty positions. Include such things as scope of work and responsibilities, number supervised, money saved, or other quantifiable actions.
The system does work and PFI places Soldiers and Airmen with agencies every day. Continue to check the website and apply for any and all positions you feel you are qualified for.
Is this Tour of Duty (ToD) or are the positions the same?
No, DFAS/PFI is separate from ToD, though we may advertise some of our Army only positions on Tour of Duty. If you see a DFAS/PFI position on ToD, you should also apply via DFAS/PFI to ensure your resume is seen by the right POC.

Page updated December 15, 2020