The Air Force Instruction (AFI) 36-2909, Professional and Unprofessional Relationships, provides written instruction defining professional and unprofessional relationships.
In all situations, remember to act in a respectful, professional and polite manner. Acting in a professional manner will help the AF operate smoothly.
Building team harmony is part of being professional. You should take part in discussions with your supervisors and teammates. When speaking, use words like “perhaps” and “maybe,” rather than absolute words like “always” and “never.”
Using absolutes can cause resistance. Say something like, “Perhaps I could…” or “Maybe we could try...” This invites open discussions that will build team morale and unity while keeping respect for authority.
Being professional is about more than just relating to your teammates. It also applies to civilians working on military bases and getting along with your friends and family. Render proper courtesies, treat people fairly, keep a friendly image, be helpful and engage with everyone around you.
Unprofessional relationships include those that abandon goals, exclude others, detract from authority, grant favors or show favoritism to people you like. It also includes relational behavior that hurts unit morale, discipline and unity or behavior that benefit you at the expense of others or the AF.
Unprofessional relationships can occur between people of the same or different rank. They can occur on or off duty or between anyone regardless of gender. Simply put, it covers every AF member in every situation.
Unprofessional behavior is unacceptable and may result in verbal or written counseling, a Letter of Reprimand (LOR) or charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).
Fraternization is a term used for a specific type of unprofessional relationship. It covers a personal involvement between an officer and an enlisted member that goes beyond the normal bounds of acceptable behavior and puts good order and discipline at risk.
This can result in, or give the impression of, favoritism or unequal treatment. Some other examples of fraternization are officers and enlisted members gambling, borrowing money or having sexual relations. An officer who engages in fraternization is in violation of the UCMJ.
A personal relationship between a student and an instructor in any training environment is not permitted. As members of the AF, you must consider how you relate to others. You represent the AF and should always behave in an appropriate, professional manner.