An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Leadership development is focus for Airmen at ELS

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman John E. Hillier
  • Air National Guard Readiness Center Public Affairs
Enlisted Air National Guard Airmen from all across the states, territories, and the District of Columbia convened here for three days of professional development and education Aug. 26-28.

Airmen from each of the enlisted tiers: junior enlisted, noncommissioned officers, and senior noncommissioned officers, were given information relevant to their stage in their career to take back to their unit and share.

The Enlisted Leadership Symposium is a biennial event which offers enlisted Airmen leadership training, professional development and information on the current operations and future state of the Air National Guard.

"This week was awesome," said ANG Command Chief Master Sergeant James W. Hotaling. "Our Airmen received training that will change lives. The professional mindset they take with them will shape the future of the Air National Guard. I believe that organizations whose members view themselves as professionals will outperform and outsmart organizations that don't, which translates into a competitive advantage for the Guard."

A variety of key issues were addressed including the likely future demands for more ANG capabilities, resiliency training, improvements to ancillary training, the Airmen's comprehensive assessment, as well as preserving the Air Guard's heritage and traditions.

One of the highlights of the event was the expansion of the Resiliency Trainer Assistant program. All of the 89 first sergeants at the conference, one from each wing, received training in skills to better help the Airmen in their units bounce back from problems, rather than letting setbacks get the best of them.

Resiliency is about taking care of our Airmen, and teaching them to take care of themselves - helping them improve balance, mental toughness and emotional strength - especially our first sergeants," said Maj. Donna Crews, a master resiliency trainer from the 138th Fighter Wing. "We are in some very tough times in the Air National Guard right now, and that toughness and strength is going to be a part of what carries us through."

Airmen were also given a more detailed view of the changes to annual ancillary training requirements and expeditionary skills training, that were implemented on Sept. 1, 2014. The new training is designed around traditional Guardsmen, whose computer-based training requirements previously took up a large portion of their limited time.

"Ancillary training and the addition of multiple requirements that have happened over the last 10 years has added extensive amounts of re-occurring training to every Airman out there," said Chief Master Sgt. Catherine Blodgett, ANG Airman Development Division Chief. "So the focus was taken away from the core technical skills training that they need to deploy."

Guardsmen will now receive most of their annual training requirements in a one-hour en masse facilitated learning course. This change will save the ANG an estimated 2.1 million man-hours per year, and allow Airmen to spend their drill weekends focused on their core skill sets.

"Now, we'll have a focused discussion with leadership," said Blodgett. "We're going to be able to provide that information with feedback, including lessons learned and things that are occurring at an individual wing right now. We'll give the information to Airmen, make them responsible for it, and make them apply it."

The Enlisted Leadership Symposium brought together more than 400 enlisted Airmen from the 89 Air National Guard wings and units.