Course preps NCOs for new stripes

  • Published
  • By Connie Hempel
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Sixteen Noncommissioned Officers were inducted into the next tier of their career July 28, taking one step closer to calling themselves Senior NCOs.

Before these 16 individuals could actually claim the Senior NCO honor, they spent four days at the annual SNCO Orientation Course here learning from seasoned SNCOs what challenges lie ahead and what it will take to be successful.

Master Sgt. Brandon Welton, 17th Training Support Squadron, was promoted to master sergeant under the Stripes for Exceptional Performers program in December 2010 and said that the panel discussions with airmen, other SNCOs and commanders was the best part for him.

"It was a good way to learn what airmen expect of their senior NCOs, and what current seniors NCOs and commanders expect of us," he said.

Although he's been a senior NCO since December, he said he's glad he had the opportunity to attend the seminar with other future senior NCOs.

"Another big benefit for me was being able to network with other inductees," Welton said.

During the orientation class, SNCOs from career fields around the wing discussed different challenges that the new SNCOs will now encounter. Some topics covered were the enlisted force structure, the role of the first sergeant, joint force perspective, and counseling and mentoring.

One of this year's course coordinators, Master Sgt. Christopher Norci, 17th Security Forces Squadron First Sergeant, sat where these Senior NCOs did just three years ago. He said when he was a technical sergeant, he really didn't understand what he was getting into when he became a Senior NCO, but the course gave him a better understanding of his responsibilities and expectations as a Senior NCO.

"This class was a good leaping off point to understand that," he said. "It gave me a new perspective on things and was an important step into transitioning to a senior NCO."

Another important part of the course that Norci was grateful for when he went through were the connections he made with others around base, which he still uses when he needs help. He said it's great that those who attended last week's course were able to network and build cooperative relationships too.

"It helps them see that they're not alone," he said. "They have a whole base with different experiences to draw from. They should be able to depend on each other and help each other."

To encourage teamwork and networking, the course fostered cross communication. They shared their experiences and learned from each other. To strengthen their teamwork, attendees had to complete a team building exercise which could only be accomplished by working together. They stood in a circle holding hands trying to pass a hula hoop around by maneuvering through it without letting go of each other. There were some hesitations and difficulties at first, but the more they did the exercise, the faster the hoop went around the circle.

Although more than 20 people from Goodfellow were selected for promotion to master sergeant this year, only 16 were available to attend the course due to deployments and changes in duty stations.