Focus on FSS: Teaching Airmen to lead

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ashlin Federick
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  The Air Force is in need of strong leaders, which is why it requires its Airmen to attend Airman Leadership School.

ALS is the first professional military education that enlisted members attend. Course instructors teach them the supervisory skills needed when leading Airmen.

"Right now [ALS] is very important because [Airmen] are being promoted much earlier so we are trying to get to them faster," said Staff Sgt. Chaka Sellers, ALS PME instructor.

Senior Airmen and some staff sergeants attend ALS. Guard and reserve members have the option to either attend in the classroom setting or to take it online.

The 24 academic day course provides Airmen the tools they need to learn to become frontline supervisors. Among the things airmen learn are bullet, narrative and decoration writing. There is also instruction about how to perform initial, midterm and follow-up feedbacks.

ALS students learn this skill by being assigned a classmate that pretends to be a subordinate. The students then do an initial feedback session and sometimes write a Letter of Counseling for that person. Their Airman may also come to them with a civil abuse issue and the students may have to perform interpersonal counseling.

Staff Sgt. Yanet Rouillard, 436th Force Support Squadron unit deployment manager who graduated from ALS in February, said she has more respect for supervisors after attending ALS.

"Some Airman feel like their supervisors don't do anything," said Rouillard. "ALS changed my mind about the way I think about supervisor because now I realize they have a lot of responsibility."

Sellers said ALS is beneficial because the Airmen get to see different methods to handle issues.

"Not every method is always going to work, so you learn different concepts that aren't as apparent in your job or work center," said Sellers.

Staff Sgt. Mary Bailey, 9th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, said before ALS she did not have all the resources she needed if she or someone else needed help.

"I am now skilled at directing people to base agencies and follow up when others need assistance," said Bailey. "I enjoy being an NCO my peers can turn to for guidance."

Bailey said after attending ALS she became a more knowledgeable Airman. She is more aware of the Air Force's history and heritage and appreciates serving.

"I am more committed to my fellow Airmen, especially my two troops," said Bailey. I look forward to developing them in their endeavors and careers. I hope to teach and inspire them to be the kind of NCO they can turn to."