Courses put NCOs in teamwork mode

  • Published
  • By Chrissy Cuttita
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The ropes course here challenges senior NCO and NCO Enhancement course students mentally and physically, while inspiring them to work together as a team. 

"The evolution of the team over the course of a few hours is really something to see," said Master Sgt. Travis Fritts, 325th Fighter Wing career assistance advisor. "You can build a lifetime of trust in just a few hours with some fairly simple tasks." 

The whole team has to complete the event to pass, failure by one is a failure by all, he said. 

Students are put into challenging situations together so they are left with nothing but each other's trust to get through the task, no matter how simple or advanced it can be. 

"I had to put my trust into another person I had known for only a couple of days," said Master Sgt. Michael Jones, SNCO Enhancement Course student. "We learned to identify everyone's strengths and weaknesses to help the mission and made sure the very last detail was finished." 

"I think it helps them to see that every Airman is a key factor to success," said Sergeant Fritts.  "Sometimes you need the strongest person and sometimes you need the 'pixie.' Another obstacle might be 'technique' versus 'skill' or 'book smart' versus 'street sense,' It can really open your eyes to the sometimes 'hidden value' of your people. The ropes course will oftentimes illustrate how institutionalized our thinking process becomes, particularly when you are flustered." 

The three-day supercharged  NCO and Senior NCO Enhancement Courses are designed to give supervisors a "power boost" or a refresher of information that will be useful in conjunction with their supervisory duties.  Some of the material covered reviews what students learned in professional military education, like the enlisted force structure, effective writing or the disciplinary process. Other material covers the Senior NCO Promotion Board. 

"The courses are unique in that there is no test at the end; so if a class wants to discuss one item in great length, I don't have to worry about getting through the testable material first," said Sergeant Fritts. "What I really like is that the Airmen who attend have a few years of hands-on experience with supervision and we are able to target specific areas instead of working through the general responsibilities. And, as a bonus, they are able to share their knowledge with the other members of the course." 

Guest speakers cover topics NCOs may not be exposed to in traditional PME, like protocol, public affairs and the senior NCO Promotion Board. 

Anything designated as course material is something the guest speakers and instructors hope NCOs will take back to their day to day routines. 

"Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the 'dailiness' of our jobs and lose focus on moving forward," said Sergeant Fritts. "I hope that the Airmen who attend the enhancement classes will think about the role they play and pause just long enough to make course corrections as needed. I love that we have our own Tyndall leadership teaching, sharing and leading the NCO and Senior NCO corps to new heights; it's an investment in our nation and ourselves." 

"The course put me back into an Air Force frame of mind and helped me to be a better senior NCO," said Sergeant Jones. "The biggest lesson is you can't accomplish anything on your own."