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Command chief sheds light on future of enlisted development

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Daryl Knee
  • 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany --  The 52nd Fighter Wing command chief delivered three mass briefings to more than 1,000 enlisted Airmen at the base theater March 24.

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Brian Gates discussed information relating to enlisted professional military education and other topics for Airmen who may be curious as to how Air Force leaders plan to shape the future of enlisted professional development.

"The focus of today's Air Force is continuous training in the profession of arms throughout your entire career," Gates said during the topic of EPME, which he discussed for the largest portion of the briefing. Specifically, he spoke about a new training milestone Airmen must complete to advance their rank.

Gates discussed the following timeline and recommended milestones for Airmen progressing from the ranks between E-1 and E-6.

First, an Airman should complete his or her career development courses, satisfy upgrade training requirements, and internalize the Air Force's core values and beliefs within their first three years of service. All of these tasks are designed to transform a newly minted Airman into a consummate professional.

Between years three and six, Airmen should attend Airman Leadership School, a program aimed at molding its graduates into front-line supervisors and effective leaders.

The chief then mentioned a new addition to the timeline: Airmen are now required to complete a distance-learning course called Course 15, version 1, between their seventh and 12th year in the service.

The course includes two modules with tests -- about 1,200 pages' worth of material -- and its completion is required for an Airman to promote to technical sergeant and attend in-residence NCO academy, beginning with the E-6 promotion cycle in 2016.

Gates encouraged Airmen falling into this particular window to prioritize their goals and enroll into Course 15v1 as soon as possible. For Spangdahlem, about 27 percent of all eligible Airmen are currently enrolled, and of that percentage, only 1.8 percent have completed the course.

"If you want to continue to serve, this should be at the top of your list," the chief said. "Take control of your own destiny and enroll now.  It's incumbent upon you to be the professional, forge better Airmen and create a more educated Air Force."

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Natca Moye, 52nd Force Support Squadron NCO in charge of force management and a subject-matter expert at the briefing, cautioned Airmen against procrastination.

"In the past, some Airmen waited until they were promotable and then got a waiver to promote without attending NCOA - but that is obsolete now," she said. "You will not promote to (technical sergeant) without completing Course 15. Do not wait."

For those who could not attend, the chief went on to discuss the enlisted evaluation system, developmental special duty opportunities and the Air Force culture.

All base Airmen should expect an email soon with instructions on how to access the 11 a.m. briefing video in its entirety.