Released: 16 Feb 2000
FORT GEORGE MEADE, Md. (AFPN) -- Step back and take a look at the faces in the Air Force. Sure, there are a wide variety of faces, but take a close look and see how many are of young first-term airmen. Now ask which of these young faces are going to stick around to become the old Air Force faces.
After asking the question of how to turn the new into the old, members of the 694 Intelligence Group came up with a new idea. They launched a new professional development program for the unit's most junior enlisted members. This program is one of many the Air Intelligence Agency has added to supplement current Air Force training programs.
"The whole process, called Teaching Early Airmanship and Mentoring, or TEAM, addresses the contemporary issues and challenges facing airmen who have served this country for three years or less," said Staff Sgt. Michelle Lintz, TEAM curriculum manager. "These airman will be leaving the Air Force in a year or so. Many will leave not fully knowing what the Air Force was all about or what it had to offer.
TEAM provides some of these answers by supplementing professional military education and bridging the gap between Air Force enlistment and the Airman Leadership School. TEAM is a formal three-day course administered approximately six months after a member arrives on base, and specifically targets airman arriving directly from technical training. The curriculum includes Air Force core values, standards and discipline, education and financial counseling, career road map, communications and various other topics vital to the development and retention of young airmen."
"What makes TEAM different from other professional military training is the increased esprit de corps," said Col. Carla D. Bass, 694 IG commander. "TEAM encourages retention, and positively effects the health of AIA and the Air Force at large. We need to mentor our youngest airmen, (who are) most vulnerable in the National Security Agency, a predominately civilian organization. These are the members most susceptible to separating at the end of their first term, due to lack of service identity.
"With TEAM, we create a sense of "blue" and then strive to maintain it with the mentorship of the group's noncommissioned officers. This combination has added a spark to the young members. We also purposely restricted each TEAM class to 14 students to encourage dialogue on Air Force-centric issues and to build camaraderie".
"One very important part of the TEAM training is the mentoring portion," added Lintz. "Were getting the supervisors involved in all aspects of this training. That includes everything from what there is to do in the local area to the importance of making everyday appointments. Our TEAM student handbook also helps by offering areas for frequently asked questions, military references and a list of points of contact. If the supervisors take the time to get involved, the airmen take interest."
Mentoring is very important to the whole program, added Staff Sgt. Robert L. Jones, an instructor with the Airman Leadership School here. "Having supervisors sit down and discuss issues ranging from finance to daily life is very important for the younger airman," he said. "Even something simple like a story passed on gives the TEAM member an idea of what the military is all about. They learn that there are a lot of good things in the Air Force."
"TEAM is a completely 'home-grown' initiative undertaken by the 694 IG First Six Association," said Lintz. "NCOs from the group flushed out the concept, developed the agenda, and authored blocks of instruction ... all in seven months. These same NCOs also created a student study guide, lesson plans, and taught the courses. In fact, these NCOs responded with such enthusiasm that instructors were formally selected by board process. TEAM reaches out to lower enlisted members, and let's them know that we -- NCOs -- care about them. A lot of airmen feel left out, but TEAM can make a difference in their careers."
The inaugural class was ecstatic about the pilot program. "TEAM positively reinforces the true meaning of serving in the Air Force," said Senior Airman Tiffany Walton, class leader. "It gave all of us something to really think about. A fresh prospective of why we are really here."
Airman 1st Class Ebony Johnson agreed, "TEAM is an excellent course that challenges each student. It provided a much needed morale boost, and I would recommend the class to any new airman."
TEAM is the latest in the series of professional development initiatives within the 694 IG all focused on grooming the next generation of Air Force officer and enlisted corps. TEAM joins the following existing programs ... all home grown: Partnership in Academics, NCO Professional Development Course, Senior NCO Orientation Seminar, Company Grade Officer Professional Development Seminar and the Civilian and Other Service Supervisor Program.
With the first classes successfully graduated, it's just a matter of time before the benefits of this new program start to take effect and the graduates, as they become NCOs, take their shot as instructors and pass TEAM on to the entire Air Force.