NCO Leadership Development Course wraps up at 931st

  • Published
  • By Brannen Parrish
  • 931st ARG Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  Airmen from the 931st Air Refueling Group completed the Non-commissioned officer Leadership Development Course with a graduation ceremony here, July 22.

The 10-day course provides first-line supervisors with leadership instruction. Junior NCOs learn about the dynamic aspects of leadership which include inspirational motivation, counseling skills, stress in the work place, communication, effective writing and mentoring. Students learn through a mixture of classroom instruction, case studies, role playing and discussion to explore the dynamics of supervising.

Chief Master Sgt. Sean Martin, Command Chief, 931st ARG told the graduates that leadership study and practice should be a continuous process for all NCOs.

"Completing the NCOLDP is not the end, it is just the beginning," said Chief Martin, who attended the course when he was a staff sergeant. "Education and enlisted professional military education is important when you are an Airman and staff sergeant. It isn't something you just start to think about when you are 18 years into a career. How you spend your time now as an NCO will dictate your future."

More than 60,000 Air Force Reservists have completed the course since AFRC instituted the program in 1989.

"We try to give them the skills to be successful as supervisors," said Tech. Sgt. Thomas Lord, a leadership facilitator assigned to the 507th Medical Squadron at Tinker AFB, Okla. Sergeant Lord, travels around the country facilitating NCOLDC discussions for Air Force Reserve Command.

One of the activities includes the "minefield" exercise. One person is blindfolded while another NCO gives oral instructions to navigate through the minefields of a career. "It helps them understand how to navigate Airmen through what they do in their lives and careers," Sergeant Lord said. "There are potential mines that Airmen need to avoid, and providing the right direction and advice can help them get through their careers and progress."

Tech. Sgt. Larysa Lewis, a facilitator who hails from the 94th Force Support Squadron at Dobbins ARB, Ga. said the course teaches first-level supervisors to build professional relationships with their Airmen.

"We try to get them to go back to the basics to be personable and understand their Airmen," said Sergeant Lewis. "If you don't set clear expectations for your Airmen, they aren't going to know what they need to do to be successful. We try to help them identify leadership traits and help them learn to apply their individual leadership styles to be the type of leaders they want to follow."