ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Airmen who leave the Regular Air Force and sign up for Palace Chase before Oct. 1 will be required to serve shorter periods of time.

Palace Chase is an early release program for people who want to establish a new date of separation and finish their service commitment as a member of the Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard.

Signing up between now and Sept. 30 allows people to serve on a one-for-one basis. In the past, Airmen getting off active duty in the Regular Air Force had to serve longer periods of service under Palace Chase - twice as much time for enlisted people and three times as much for officers.

For example, ordinarily a senior airman with one year remaining in the Regular Air Force would owe the Reserve or Guard two years of service under Palace Chase. If the same senior airman signs up for the program before Oct. 1, he or she would owe the Reserve or Guard only one year of service.

"This change was established to help with the current force-shaping movement," said Tech. Sgt. Kenneth Toon, in-service recruiter for the Air Force Reserve at Fairchild AFB, Wash. "It's basically an enticement to help the Regular Air Force reach its end strength."

At one point, Sergeant Toon had 25 applicants for Palace Chase. He said becoming a reservist allows Airmen separating from the Regular Air Force to leave active-duty status while holding on to some of their military benefits, which can ease the transition to civilian life.

People who go into the Reserve get to keep many of the benefits they had while in the Regular Air Force, such as base privileges and access to the commissary and base exchange.

"There's also medical and dental coverage available through United Concordia and through Tricare Select Reserve, which is premium-based," said Sergeant Toon. "While it's not free like active-duty medical benefits, it's very reasonable compared to other civilian insurance plans."

Applying for Palace Chase is pretty simple, according to officials in Air Force Reserve Command Recruiting Service at Robins AFB. Airmen start the process by filling out a few local forms, which are routed through their chain of command for approval.

"Then the paperwork flows to the Air Force Personnel Center," Sergeant Toon said. "Ultimately, the center decides whether or not to release an individual, and unless there's some extenuating circumstance going on, that decision is based strictly on numbers."

And the numbers are looking good with the current drawdown in effect.

Sergeant Toon said anyone planning to separate from the Regular Air Force should take the time to look into opportunities in the Air Force Reserve.

"What I hope to achieve is for people to make an educated decision on whether or not it's in their best interests to continue in the Air Force Reserve," he said. (Air Force Reserve Command News Service from a 92nd Air Refueling Wing news release)