Inside ALS

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Colby L. Hardin
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Colby L. Hardin
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  One of the primary tasks for senior airmen is to prepare for increased responsibilities and workload that comes with the promotion to the rank of staff sergeant.

All Airmen go through Airman Leadership School before or shortly after promoting to staff sergeant to help prepare themselves for a career as a non-commissioned officer.

ALS teaches staff sergeants and senior airman what they can expect as supervisors and as non-commissioned officers.

"Sometimes the students come in as staff sergeants or staff selects but they've had very little mentorship," said Staff Sgt. Natalie Valle, 22nd Force Support Squadron ALS instructor. "We have to mold them into the Air Force's vision of a leader."

During the course the students have many discussions about leadership and how to become the supervisors that will eventually have the responsibility of developing the next generation of leaders.

"The course prepares you to become part of the NCO corps," said Senior Airman Christian Gosselin, 22nd Security Forces Squadron combat arms instructor. "It helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses and you work to improve them."

ALS is a four and a half to six week course, in which it is the instructors responsibility for molding 12 to 13 students into capable supervisors.

The students in the course are challenged both mentally and physically throughout the six weeks. Each instructor leads their flight through various physical training sessions at the end of each day.

Course work requires students to complete homework assignments and develop speech throughout the class and they receive grades for each assignment.

"One of my biggest challenges was learning to be a teammate," added Gosselin. "I'm usually more of an independent person, but what has helped me is knowing that at the end of the day I'm going to judge my success here on how well we do as a team."

Even though ALS is meant for Airmen who are going to be new supervisors, the instructors are also growing as the course goes along and still face challenges of their own.

"Our personal life doesn't stop," Valle added. "At the same time we have to live up to our expectations as NCOs; as the epitome of the Air Force."

Whether it's demonstrating how to properly wear a uniform or how to discipline subordinates, ALS provides each Airman with life changing advice and leadership techniques that they will find valuable and useful for the duration of their Air Force careers.

"I didn't see myself as much of a leader," Gosselin said. "Since entering ALS I've taken on that role for some of the other students."

The instructors also can see the transformation with Airmen as it happens.

"You don't get to see it with all of the Airmen," said Valle. "But when you can with those one or two Airmen, it's like magic."

At the end of the course, the instructors select the student who's overall performance in the course stood out for the John Levitow award, the highest honor presented in any Air Force Enlisted Professional Military Education.

It's an amazing experience and you can't learn this stuff from a book," said Valle. "It means a lot to me being an example for the future leaders of the Air Force."