MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Master sergeants and soon-to-be master sergeants were introduced to the senior noncommissioned officer tier during the annual Senior NCO Professional Enhancement Seminar, Oct. 18-21, 2021, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia.
The three-day course was designed to develop various professional skills and prepare new senior enlisted Airmen for the future roles they may hold in their units.
“This (course) is honestly a brief introduction on what they are going to see day-to-day as a senior NCO,” said Senior Master Sgt. Steven Haro, SNCO PES instructor. “We pulled the instructors from across the two wings here at Moody, and we had individuals who went through the course last year come back to share what they learned.”
During the seminar, students learned about decision-making, conflict resolution, career guidance, and more through discussions and panels. Through the course, the students were also able to network and learn from each other.
“It’s interesting to hear different perspectives from different career fields and how (other students) were brought up in the Air Force culture may have impacted how they guide people and make decisions,” said Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Anderson, SNCO PES student. “The amount of knowledge you gain from other people’s experience in the room is huge. To be able to reach out to those people afterward is going to be so much more impactful.”
For Anderson, SNCO PES was more than just panels and discussions.
“There’s so many different ways that you can utilize the knowledge from here because this isn’t necessarily a leadership course,” Anderson said. “Learning what everybody else has done, whether that be something successful or a mistake, (allows) you to constantly learn and grow.”
Being a leader is a long-term journey and is encouraged in every tier of the enlisted force structure no matter how long an Airman serves.
“There’s always room for development,” Haro said. “With this course, everybody has a wider range of experiences. Someone might be great at what they do at a tactical level, but they are making a jump as soon as they put on that rooftop, so they have to be prepared.”
After the seminar, the students will be celebrated during the Senior NCO Induction Ceremony on Oct. 22, 2021.