ARLINGTON, Va. — Airmen can now request two- or three-year accompanied tours to parts of South Korea through their personnel system, the Air Force has announced.

Most of accompanied tour billets are at Osan Air Base, but some Air Force slots exist at Camp Humphreys and U.S. Army Garrison-Yongsan, said Kenny Pruitt, a spokesman for the Air Force Personnel Center.

The policy is effective June 2, but the Air Force has already notified airmen currently stationed in South Korea and those airmen projected to arrive there after June 2 about the accompanied tours option, Air Force officials said.

“We wanted to make sure we caught everybody who was either going or who was already there,” said Bill Warner, chief of the assignment programs and procedures section of the Air Force Personnel Center.

Warner could not say exactly how many accompanied tour billets are available to airmen.

“Current base facilities, such as housing, schools, and support activities, will limit the number of airmen authorized to serve the accompanied, command sponsored tours initially,” an Air Force news release said. “As the base infrastructure grows, the number of available command sponsored positions will increase.”

Airmen who choose to serve 36-month accompanied tours will be eligible for $300 per month in Assignment Incentive Pay.

Airmen already assigned to Osan, Seoul, Camp Humphreys and Yongsan can request a command sponsored position if they want to serve accompanied tours, the news release said.

In December, U.S. Forces Korea announced that about half of the 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea would be able serve with their families.

Traditionally, most tours to South Korea have been unaccompanied because of the danger posed by North Korea.

About 1,500 airmen are expected to arrive in South Korea between now and 2010, Air Force officials said.