Boot camp puts staff selects in NCO mindset

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Michael Battles
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Osan Air Base's newly selected staff sergeants received a glimpse into the life of a non-commissioned officer during the Professional Development Center's NCO boot camp Aug. 21, 2012.

More than 65 senior airmen and staff sergeants awaiting an Osan Airman Leadership School billet participated in the seminar. Seats at the school are limited and highly coveted. The one-day course offered a condensed crash course version of the six-week class that all Airmen have to attend to become NCOs.

"NCO boot camp is a one-day course to prepare our senior airman for the transition from the Airman tier to the NCO tier," said Master Sgt. Loretta Washington, 51st Force Support Squadron professional development center superintendent. "Our goal is to empower our future NCOs with knowledge not taught from a book, but through experienced Senior NCOs."

Throughout the day, participants received briefings from Senior NCOs on a variety of topics such as counseling, enlisted force structure, standards and discipline, and professional communication.

"(NCO bootcamp) gives you an idea of what to expect in ALS and what we might encounter as an NCO," said Senior Airman Y Jin Ding Plai, 51st Mission Support Group knowledge operations management and participant of the boot camp. "It also provided us with some helpful tools to prepare ahead of time while we are still Airmen."

More than 30 NCO's from the Osan 5/6 professional development organization also provided a private one-on-one mentoring lunch session for each one of the participants and passed down their experiences and tips for being a successful NCO.

"This mentoring session provided an excellent opportunity for upcoming NCOs to prepare themselves for leadership," said Staff Sgt. Jonathan Roda, 51st Fighter Wing command chief executive. "(The boot camp) allows these Airmen to ask the questions they may not feel comfortable asking their supervisors. It also allows the NCOs that have been wearing the stripes for a while to pass on their knowledge."

Chief Master Sgt. Brendan Criswell, 51st Fighter Wing command chief, also provided opening and closing remarks to the Airmen and talked about his expectations for the generation of NCOs.

The NCO boot camp is a monthly event that any senior airman or staff sergeant can attend. Contact the Osan professional development center for more information at 784-9155.

"Team Osan has the best Airmen and we strive to fill their tool belt with knowledge that will exceed beyond their tour here," Washington said.