Ellsworth Airmen applaud personal, professional seminar

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Nathan Gallahan
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  NCOs from a variety of career fields teamed together Aug. 16 through 18 to provide enlisted Airmen at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., a seminar aimed at helping them reach teir personal and professional goals.

The seminar included a wide range of topics including personnel programs, discipline and law enforcement, stress, relationships and finance management ... amongst many others.

"This is something all Airmen ACC-wide should participate in, and if not, it should be Air Force-wide," said Airman 1st Class Nathalia Pinheiro de Oliveira, 28th Medical Operations Squadron medical technician. "It was awesome stuff. If you aren't satisfied with your Air Force career so far, this is where you can find how to change that."

A theme was established for each day of the seminar, which "helped each briefer reinforce the message we are trying to get out to the Airmen," said Chief Master Sgt. Brian Lavoie, 28th Bomb Wing command chief. "It was important to the team that we give the Airmen a chance to fully understand the material without introducing topics that would detract from our message."

Pinheiro de Oliveira said she enjoyed the equal opportunity and sexual assault response classes the most. For others, such as Airman 1st Class Anum Kampert, 28th Comptroller Squadron finance customer service technician, enjoyed the big house.

"The most interesting part of the seminar was the tour of the 28th Security Forces Squadron confinement area," Kampert said. "We got to see what happens if you screw up bad enough. It was an eye-opener."

The eye opening seminar was developed during conversations between Chief Lavoie and Tech. Sgt. Julia Bruner, 28th Force Support Squadron guest services manager and former command chief executive assistant.

"Some Airmen are really overwhelmed by the First Term Airmen Center, and they don't retain all of that information ... its information overload," Bruner said. "The Airmen really need our help around the two-year mark. At that point, they may be losing a little focus and becoming a little complacent. It's an opportune time to provide them with all of this information and help them focus all of their energy toward themselves and career."

According to Lavoie, Bruner felt something needed to be done to help lead and guide the Airmen to success.

"The seminar seemed to fit that need," Lavoie said. "The project required some more help so I enlisted a broader team [of NCOs]. We began brainstorming in April 2011 some of the topics we felt would be appropriate for the seminar."

It was then determined that Airmen that had between 28 and 32 months time in service were their target audience, because that was right between FTAC and Airman Leadership School.

"I want the Airmen to walk away from this seminar with knowledge that they can be great at their chosen profession and as a person," Lavoie said. "Hopefully, the tools we will provide will reinforce the commitment to their personal goals, a clear vision of how to avoid the pitfalls that lead to disciplinary actions, and how to cope with life's challenges, thus making a resilient Airman."

According to one of the Airmen, the goals laid out by the chief have been met ...

"In my opinion, this class will be beneficial for all Airmen who are heading toward becoming an NCO," said Senior Airman Sylvester Snell, 28th MDOS public health technician. "The education and leadership skills that you will get from the Professional Airmen Seminar will not only help you in your career in the Air Force but most importantly, help you in life also."