Airman Leadership School prepares joint service members for future

From left, Senior Airmen Nicholas Babian, left, 81st Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron, and Mike Kerber, 81st Surgical Operations Squadron, participate in an interpersonal counseling exercise with Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Shoja Ahmad during an Airman Leadership School class Friday. Airman Babian portrays a supervisor counseling a troubled student, portrayed by Petty Officer Ahmad, while Airman Kerber is an observer. Petty Officer Ahmad is assigned to USCGC Shamal which is homeported in Pascagoula, Miss. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue)

Airman Leadership School prepares joint service members for future

Published March 16, 2011
By Susan Griggs
81st Training Wing Public Affairs

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Keesler's Airman Leadership School is now a reflection of the joint force realities of military service, since Reserve, Air National Guard and Coast Guard members are part of the student mix.

The number of students from the other services is small, just a few per class, but their presence gives both Airmen and the representatives from other branches of the service an introduction to the diversity awaiting them in their future military service, according to Senior Master Sgt. Vanessa Polk, outgoing ALS commandant and incoming director of education at Keesler's Mathies NCO Academy.

Keesler has one of 70 ALS programs at stateside and overseas locations, and about 220 students graduate from Keesler's seven ALS classes annually.

Last August at a conference, Sergeant Polk talked with an Air National Guard liaison who discussed the complexities of giving his members the opportunity to pursue professional military education. Unlike active-duty Airmen and Reservists, traditional Reservists and members of the Air National Guard and Coast Guard have other jobs and have to juggle training around their full time job responsibilities.

"We deliberately develop our Airmen for Air Force environments where they'll team with joint force operations," Sergeant Polk said. "Having members of other services in our program enhances the experience for everyone. Our students will be better prepared for deployment and the operational realities of today's Air Force.

"Training with us also gives them definite advantages -- not just the professional training in leadership, communications and profession of arms, but they also earn 10 semester hours of credit from the Community College of the Air Force for their 24 academic days at the school," she pointed out.