LPDP training exposes base lieutenants to opportunities

  • Published
  • By Jennifer Emmons
  • Nucleus journalist
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The goal of the upcoming Lieutenant's Professional Development Program is to not only fill in the gaps and answer questions junior officers might have, but it's also aimed at exposing them to the wealth of opportunities open to them with Kirtland's diverse missions in action and to give them an opportunity to network with peers and senior leaders.

The mission of the LPDP course, to be held the week of Nov. 13, is to enhance professional development of junior officers here by providing interactive training through seminars, team leadership exercises and senior leader forums.

The deadline to sign up for the course is Wednesday. The course begins on Nov. 13 and runs through Nov. 17, from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., in the consolidated support building.

Capt. Jerome Hernandez, LPDP director and staff meteorologist at the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, said the program was designed to help newly assigned lieutenants succeed here by providing practical knowledge that can be immediately used in the workplace.

"An important piece of the course is providing a venue for peer networking, exposure to KAFB tenant units and senior leaders," Captain Hernandez said.

As a lieutenant in the Air Force, there are a lot of things an officer needs to learn, Captain Hernandez said. Examples of skills LPDP training teaches include how to write a good officer performance report, how the officer assignment and the officer promotion systems work and educational opportunities available to officers.

The course, which aims to bridge the gap between Air and Space Basic Course and Squadron Officer School, prepares first and second lieutenants and junior civilians for the challenges of being an Air Force leader.

"The course targets many serious objectives," said Capt. Charles Ming, a director for the LPDP program and a communications officer at the Air Force Research Laboratory.

"We want the lieutenants to learn the basics about things like awards and performance reports and then see the practical side of Kirtland's multiple missions."

The program's 43-hour curriculum includes professional seminars, senior leader forums, tours of major units, interactive leadership exercises and a formal graduation ceremony.

"We always have a full class, and we always get positive feedback from graduating students," Captain Hernandez said.

The program has graduated more than 120 lieutenants.

"It's all focused around preparing the lieutenants for whatever path they choose in their careers," he said. "Anytime you learn something new, you get the academic side and the theories, but you don't always get the nuts and bolts and what it's really like and that's what the whole program is aimed at doing.

"The majority of those lieutenants who graduate from the courses walk away with a real view of their future in the work force," Captain Hernandez continued.

"One graduate of the class has responded that it has given her the tools to become a better leader and provided the knowledge that's not normally taught in commissioning sources or other Air Force training," he said. "Many of our graduates have spoken about how the course has made them more well-rounded and not as centered around their own jobs -- it has helped them see the bigger picture of what it is to be an officer."

If you are interested in attending the course, clear it through your supervisor and e-mail kirtland.lpdp@kirtland.af.mil with your full name, rank Air Force Specialty Code, and e-mail address.