Course helps NCOs transition into next tier

  • Published
  • By Connie Hempel
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Eighteen Noncommissioned Officers here will be inducted into the next tier of their career July 29 and are one step closer to calling themselves Senior NCOs.

Before these 18 individuals could actually claim the Senior NCO honor, they spent four days during the annual SNCO Orientation Course here learning from seasoned SNCOs what challenges lie ahead and what it will take to be successful.

Tech. Sgt. Joel Harr, 312th Training Squadron Fire Academy instructor, was one of the 18 and said the course was an eye-opener.

"Just because we have the stripe doesn't mean we're automatically prepared," Sergeant Harr said. "The course taught us what our duties will entail and what it takes to be a Senior NCO."

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.

This year's course coordinator, Master Sgt. Christopher Norci, 315th Training Squadron, sat where these Senior NCOs did just two 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 into a Senior NCO."

Another important part of the course that Sergeant 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 learn 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, deployments and changes in duty stations only 18 available to attend the course.