AFNWC contracting officer selected for AFIT

  • Published
  • By Kendahl Johnson
  • Kirtland Public Affairs
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  A contracting officer for the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center's Contracting Directorate is one of just three enlisted members in the Air Force selected for the Air Force Institute of Technology program.

Tech. Sgt. Alicia Binggeli will attend the AFIT's Graduate School of Engineering and Management at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to earn a master's degree in cost analysis. AFIT is the Air Force's graduate school of engineering and management as well as its institution for technical professional continuing education.

"This selection can only mean positive things for me and I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity," Binggeli said. "It's amazing that everyone accepted to this program is allowed go to school while getting paid according to their grade and then reenter the workforce right after."

She said she plans to make the most of the opportunity by learning how to apply the concepts in the program to her operational job in innovative and productive ways. 

"I hope that it arms me to ask the right questions in order to provide the best solutions for all of our warfighters from all operational or organizational levels," she said. "I have the best job in the Air Force and attending this program will only make it better."

Binggeli said having a master's degree from AFIT will open up assignments that more directly correlate to her specialty training qualifications. 

"To be competitive for promotions and, more importantly, to perform our mission set at peak capacity education is important for enlisted members," she said.

Binggeli begins her course of study with a refresher course in August. The program lasts 18 months and will conclude in March 2017.

Applications are examined with regard to the student's breadth of education, preparation and fitness for graduate work in the proposed field of study, and expectation of scholarly attainment. For more information, visit http://www.afit.edu.