Molding Tinker’s young Airmen for the future

  • Published
  • By Jillian Coleman
  • 72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

The cadre at Tinker’s Airman Leadership School staff, comprised of four instructors and a commandant, is the force behind the schoolhouse that releases bundles of junior enlisted Airmen with a bevy of leadership tools in tow. As molding young Airmen into strong leaders is critical to the mission of the United States Air Force, the successful completion of the Airman Leadership School is compulsory before promoting to Staff Sergeant.

Senior Airmen graduate from the Airman Leadership School prepared for the next rung up on the proverbial ladder of success in the ranks of non-commissioned officers. The five-week intensive program is inclusive of all courses pertaining to the fundamentals of leadership. During the course, Airmen enhance professional military leadership skills and supervisory communication and management skills through a multitude of individual and team-building lessons and activities.

The ALS is broken into four flights – Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta – each home to one instructor and 10 to 13 students, numbers limited by the size of the classrooms. One student is selected to represent the entire ALS class, in addition to four students who are selected to represent their respective flights.

Commandant of the schoolhouse, Master Sgt. Bobby Kazmir, explained that nearly 300 Airmen graduate annually over the span of seven classes. The classroom ranges from a variety of career fields, including security forces, maintenance, medical squadrons, civil engineering and airborne control and logistics, which according to Sergeant Kazmir, bolsters the effectiveness of the education taught in the course. Furthermore, instructors and students capitalize on the diverse environment, offering collaborative thinking and challenging perspectives.

Flight instructors, consistently possessing a zeal for service, often spark a new passion in the young Airmen. Leadership is more than the rank on a uniform, rather stemming from character and drive, and imparting wisdom on leadership through content and coursework, the instructors subsequently serve as mentors. The ALS aims to encourage Airmen to find and adapt their own style of leadership to thrive in their chosen career fields.

The instructors guide discussions and Airmen essentially teach one another through sharing personal experiences.  The goal behind this approach, Sergeant Kazmir said, is to increase the chances that graduates will apply learned concepts as they lead subordinates in the future.

Full-range leadership is one of the initial topics covered throughout the course, which focuses on different theories of effective leadership.

“We focus on the evolution of theories and how they attempt to capture the essence of effective leadership, the importance of motivation, and the behaviors that are associated with each theory model,” instructor Staff Sgt. Ricky Dent explained. Beyond the knowledge of the theories, which are the basis from which certain leadership models stem, Airmen examine and perform exercises using trait-based, situational and operant skills leadership.

Another objective covered for the aspiring supervisors is that of standards and discipline.

“As NCOs, you deal with standards and discipline every day,” Instructor Tech Sgt. Katie Speer said. “The role of discipline and its impact on the mission effectiveness is essential. Supervisors need to understand and set standards, know the disciplinary measures and when to apply them.”

Traits of leadership and followership are discussed through a Leader Influence lesson, where Airmen delve into the details of two acronyms. Leader traits are taught SLICED to include selflessness, loyalty, integrity, commitment, energy and decisiveness, while Followers are described to have CILI: competence, integrity, loyalty and initiative.

At the end of the curriculum, Airmen will have earned nine credit hours towards an Associate of Applied Science degree through the Community College of the Air Force in leadership and management, managerial communications and in military studies.

Though dubbed a leadership school, there’s more than the typical pen and paper, hitting-the-books stereotype that pushes the junior enlisted Airmen successfully forward, class after class. Over the course of five weeks, students also spend time outside the classroom sharpening their leadership traits through various activities and events.

The most recent graduates, ALS Class 17-E, participated in a volunteer project within the community, listened to guest speakers: Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force No. 15  (retired) Rodney McKinley and Vietnam Prisoner of War Col. Leroy Stutz, underwent uniform inspections, intense drill evaluations, flag retreats, and channeled a competitive spirit through PT challenges four times a week.

After cadre-led fitness challenges on Mondays and Wednesdays, and flight-led PT Thursdays, where points are gained and contribute to flight status, Commandant’s PT is conducted on Fridays. The purpose, Sergeant Kazmir offered, is to engage on another level with the Airmen and participate with them. As a result, the Airmen find Commandant’s PT to reinvigorate motivation. With continuous feedback that it “humanizes” the Commandant, Kazmir is seen as a more approachable leader.

One Class 17-E Airman appreciated Sergeant Kazmir’s structure and involvement with PT on Fridays, with others sharing the opinion that “if he can do it, we can do it too.” This sentiment reinforces the Commandant’s promise that he will never ask his Airmen to do anything that he is not willing to be right beside them doing, if he’s well and able.

Still a school however, students are evaluated in various capacities in addition to marks on exams. Involvement, verbal and non-verbal communication skills, general rapport, purpose and participation are assessed throughout the course.

The second-largest, developmental-level Enlisted Professional Military schoolhouse in Air Force Materiel Command, Tinker’s Airman Leadership School is a valuable asset in molding the young men and women into the future leaders of the United States Air Force. With an impressive cadre leading the schoolhouse, Master Sgt. Rachael Long (Public Health), Sergeant Speer (Paralegal), Sergeant Dent (Security Forces) and Staff Sgt. Ryan Stinner (Air Transportation) make up the 2016 Air Force Sustainment Center EPME Team of the Year. Along with a few others who have PCSd in the last two years, the instructors were also the 2015 Air Force Material Command EPME Team of the Year.