Stars, 'butter bars' combine to build emerging AF leaders

Published Sept. 26, 2014
By Tech. Sgt. Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner
434th ARW Public Affairs

GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- From the moment they put on their first gold bars, Air Force officers are tasked with the enormous responsibility of training, equipping and leading Airmen, and that mission takes both dedication and education.

Providing those in an effort to prepare its junior officers for greater responsibility, the Air Force Reserve Command held a Junior Officer Leadership Development Course for thirty-five lieutenants, captains and newly promoted majors at Grissom recently.

"It was a pause in operations to refocus on my growth as an officer," explained 1st Lt. John Pedro, 434th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels flight commander and JOLD student.

The course included classroom and field training portions to increase the students' knowledge on leadership while also providing social interactions and networking opportunities.

"It's also an opportunity for junior reserve officers to gain a little more insight into the reserve and reserve senior leader viewpoints on career progression," said Maj. UIrich Adams, 434th Communications Squadron commander who was Grissom's JOLD project officer.

One of those senior leaders, Brig. Gen. Curtis Williams, AFRC director of installations and mission support, said the JOLD course was an amazing tool to build strong qualities in the Air Force's emerging leaders.

"It builds great camaraderie with their fellow junior officers, increases their confidence and gives them a knowledge and understanding of the big picture as they interact with senior leaders," elaborated Williams.

Grissom's three-and-a-half-day course kicked off on a Thursday evening with an icebreaking event that challenged participants to share a little about themselves while getting to know more about each other.

"That was absolutely critical for a lot of them, because without it, the first couple of days, nobody talks to each other," remarked Williams. "They get to know and understand their peers and that they're just like their contemporaries."

The following day, participants received a briefing on the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom from Col. Doug Schwartz, 434th ARW commander, before diving into courses on the air expeditionary force cycle, force management and development, reserve officer development plans and promotions.

"A lot of the junior officers weren't aware of Grissom and the capability that it has," said Adams, adding that many of the students left amazed about how active the 434th ARW is in the middle of north-central Indiana.

"It offered people a perspective from one of the busiest refueling wings in the Air Force Reserve that they may not have otherwise known," said 2nd Lt. Stephanie Creel, 434th Mission Support Group executive officer and JOLD student. "I personally learned a lot about career progression and about different ways to take control of my own career including the importance of officer development plans and finding a mentor."

On Saturday the students received senior leadership perspective briefings to include a presentation on generations from Col. Marshall Irvin, 94th Mission Support Group commander; on the total force from Brig. Gen. Udo McGregor, Joint Enabling Capabilities Command vice commander, and on mentoring and communications from Williams.

Williams said those presentations allowed the students to see their leaders in a different light and how they could one day become one of them.

"It let them see that, 'hey, I put my pants on the same way,'" the general joked. "It's easy to have a mystical view of senior leaders, but we gave them an opportunity to get to know us and see a pathway for them to be a senior leader."

Williams also noted that being a good leader doesn't always mean one has to be a colonel or general.

"It's ok if you don't want to become a general officer, but there's a place out there for all of us to be leaders," he added.

After their Saturday morning sessions, the students then headed out to the field for teambuilding exercises, which included timed weapons assembly of M-4 Carbine rifles, extendable modular personnel tent building, self-aid and buddy care, and litter carrying of simulated wounded patients.

"The field exercise allowed them to utilize the leadership skills discussed in class," recalled Adams. "Even in the beginning of the course, the senior leaders tried to embed those things on how they should prepare for the field exercise, so it really was a culmination of everything."

The final day began with a senior enlisted panel, featuring four of Grissom's chief master sergeants. During the panel, the officer students gleaned information, perspectives and approaches from the enlisted senior leaders.

Sunday also provided a class in command philosophy from Lt. Col. Christopher Witter, 434th Security Forces commander, and a final briefing on senior leaders' perspective delivered by both McGregor and Williams.

Looking ahead, Williams said he hopes more junior officers and senior leaders take part in JOLD courses.

"It's a motivation course to get them excited about what's ahead, and we need to keep them going and get a lot more of our senior leaders involved," he concluded. "It's a two way street - for senior leaders, we get a lot of it as well as we interact with the junior officers."

Grissom is home to the 434th ARW, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the AFRC. From Grissom, Airmen and aircraft routinely deploy around the globe in support of the Air Force mission and U.S. strategic objectives.

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Stars, 'butter bars' combine to build emerging AF leaders

Public Affairs Staff