Forming the future Published Nov. 7, 2006 By Jennifer Emmons Nucleus journalist KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Education is the key to achieving a higher rank in society, both professionally and personally, and it's no different in the Air Force. The Airman Leadership School, designed to develop Airmen into effective front-line supervisors, also provides the skills necessary to succeed outside the military -- be it in the corporate workforce or in the way an Airman thrives in his or her personal life."Airman Leadership School is perhaps the most crucial training an Airman can receive," said Tech. Sgt. Sammie Spears, Kirtland's ALS flight chief. "It is the first professional military education that enlisted Airmen encounter. The school focuses on developing leadership abilities as well as effective communication."During the five-week course, Airmen are trained to understand their positions in the Air Force organizational structure, leadership, communication skills and profession of arms, Sergeant Spears said. "We (ALS's staff ) are definitely the front line of contact for Airmen who are deciding whether to continue their careers in the Air Force or not. Out of the three levels of training and education, ALS perhaps leaves the biggest impression on an Airman," he said.The course is designed to prepare and better equip senior airmen to serve as supervisors, managers and rating officials as they progress in their enlisted military careers, said Sergeant Spears. The school is the first of three levels of professional military education programs used to develop and cultivate leadership and supervisory skills, and it is a required course for airmen to complete prior to being promoted to the rank of staff sergeant.Those eligible to attend ALS include senior airmen with 48 months time in service, those in line to become a staff sergeant and those selected for certain overseas tours."The course is 24 duty days long ," Sergeant Spears said, "and the 192 hours of instruction covers such topics as leadership, management, communications, human resource management and profession of arms."Other areas of study include problem solving, time management, group dynamics, team development, mentoring and professional relationships."The courses are very challenging and rigorous so the Airmen get the most out of their time in ALS," said Staff Sgt. David Perez, a flight instructor.The initial level of PME meets a vital Air Force need and is designed to meet individual needs at specific times in an individual's career. The school is offered to Airmen at a time in their career when they are deciding whether to continue, but primarily, ALS is offered as a catalyst into other opportunities in the Air Force.Being that ALS is the first level of PME, the school is producing the front line of leaders being sent overseas, namely to Iraq."ALS is the most important level of schooling -- it's the Airmen's core training for being an NCO," Sergeant Perez said. "We are the meat and potatoes of the educational tier."Another crucial point that characterizes ALS as a turning point in an Airman's life is that it helps an Airman decide where he or she wants to take his or her career, be it a continued career in the military, or into corporate America, Sergeant Spears said."Our efforts are directed toward sharing the knowledge that exists in other organizations in the Air Force with the Airmen who can use it most effectively in their future," he said. "We open a door for Airmen and give them a view of how the Air Force operates on a higher level."Staff Sgt. Gabriela Jaramillo, a flight instructor, said that at the beginning of each class, she likes to ask all the students who plans to stay in the Air Force and who plans to leave."At the end of the course, you see more Airmen who did plan on leaving undecided as we have shown them another side to the Air Force and how much more it can offer and enhance their future, no matter what path they decide to take," Sergeant Jaramillo said. "It gives them a whole new perspective on how ALS and the Air Force can help make an Airman a more productive individual, employee and even better in managing their personal relationships outside of their careers."She said that the learning process is personalized to each student and linked to the real world in which the individuals manage their personal resources."Our focus is on leadership and team work with a broad familiarization of noncommissioned officers' responsibilities and duties," Sergeant Spears said. "Our goal is to develop today's Airmen into the NCOs they will be for the rest of their careers." The students are rated on their performance in many areas, Sergeant Perez said, including physical training, counseling sessions, briefings, narrative writings, dress and appearance and marching. At Kirtland ALS, seven classes are held each year with the average class size at about 20 Airmen. This year, Sergeant Spears, who became the ALS flight chief this September, helped create a new school insignia and a new school motto: "First to lead, first to strike." Being the flight chief, Sergeant Spears is responsible for the overall operation of the ALS and for all educational and training programs conducted for the students attending the ALS. Sergeant Spears, an aerospace medical technician who has been in the Air Force for 14 years, previously taught at another ALS for four years before becoming flight chief here. "We teach people in all areas of life," Sergeant Jaramillo said. "ALS teaches and instills professionalism, time management and the importance of education in all career fields. It also teaches heritage - in everyday life, people tend to forget that." She said most Airmen leave anxious to get back to work refocused, which is the goal, to inspire dedication and hard work where an Airman can apply it to all areas of life. This year, Sergeant Perez said, the school is narrowing in on physical training, teaching and stressing the importance of circuit and strength training, endurance and overall fitness. Since the possibility of deployment is high, he said it's important that Airmen stay in the best physical shape. "We as instructors, and the overall goal of ALS, prepare the Airmen physically, mentally and emotionally," Sergeant Perez said. Sergeant Spears said that the goals of ALS include changing the mindset of Airmen to think like managers, to make Airmen more community-oriented and to make sure they leave the course with the capability to be the best NCOs in every way. "I think giving Airmen as close of a real work experience before the real world experience is key to ALS," said Tech. Sgt. Rich Wright, a flight instructor and aerospace medical technician. "The life skills an Airmen learns at ALS goes beyond the uniform - it's something they can take with them into corporate America. What we teach at ALS is something that corporate America spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on every year. "The quality of professions we turn out here at ALS in unbelievable," he continued. "We give them a toolbox, and we fill it over the five-week course, and the Airmen take these tools we provide and use them in whatever they choose to do."