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AFH 1 · Chapter 7 · Section 7.21

Enlisted Professional Military Education

Part of Air Force Leadership · 4 sections · ~1165 words · WAPS PFE study material

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Enlisted PME Overview and Barnes Center

Origin and Purpose

1955 Establishment
In 1955, enlisted PME schools were established across the USAF to provide non-commissioned officers leadership and management training required to assume day-to-day mission execution responsibilities.

The stand-up of these schools coincided with the release of the first official enlisted force structure, which established the leadership roles and responsibilities of enlisted Airmen at each grade.

Who Runs Stateside Enlisted PME

PME Operational Control
Operational control of stateside enlisted PME schools lies with Air Education and Training Command at the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, located at Maxwell Air Force Base-Gunter Annex, Alabama.

Barnes Center, Academic Affairs

The Barnes Center, Academic Affairs is responsible for:

  • Developing and providing enlisted PME program development
  • Faculty development
  • Operational program management

Course Design

Course Design Methods
Barnes Center programs consist of academic courses that use performance evaluations and objective examinations to determine how well students achieve instructional objectives.

Courses are designed with:

  • Principle instructional methods
  • Experiential activities
  • Problem-centered leadership laboratories
  • Personal reflection
  • Guided discussion
  • Case study analysis
  • Writing assignments

Collegiate Credit for PME

CCAF Credit for PME (Except CLC)
With the exception of the Chief Leadership Course, Airmen are awarded collegiate academic credit for completing enlisted PME courses through the Community College of the Air Force, which is accredited through Air University by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Airman Leadership School (ALS) — DL, BLC, and ALS

Airman Leadership School Distance Learning (ALS-DL)

ALS-DL Purpose
The ALS-DL Course provides PME to prepare Senior Airmen to supervise and foster a commitment to the military profession.

ALS-DL Curriculum

The ALS-DL curriculum is designed to develop a mindset and associated skills with respect to four core attributes:

  1. Professional Airmen
  2. Expeditionary Airmen
  3. Supervisor of Airmen
  4. Supervisory communicator

ALS-DL Eligibility

ALS-DL Audience
The ALS-DL course is open to:
  • Air National Guard Senior Airmen and Staff Sergeants
  • USAF Reserve Senior Airmen and Staff Sergeants
ALS-DL Not Open to RegAF
The course is not available for RegAF personnel.

Successful Completion

Students must pass two course exams by attaining the minimum passing score on each exam.

Airman Leadership School Blended Learning (ALS-BLC)

ALS-BLC Launch
In October 2016, the Airman Leadership School launched the Blended Learning Course (ALS-BLC), which combines distance learning principles with traditional classroom learning.

ALS-BLC Two Phases

ALS-BLC Phase Structure.
  • Phase I is eight weeks long, delivered through an online learning management system. Students complete core academic work in an asynchronous environment.
  • Phase II is two weeks long and conducted at the Paul H. Lankford PME Center located on McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, Tennessee.

ALS-BLC Curriculum

The ALS-BLC curriculum develops the same four core attributes as ALS-DL:

  1. Professional Airmen
  2. Expeditionary Airmen
  3. Supervisor of Airmen
  4. Supervisory communicator

Airman Leadership School (ALS)

ALS — First PME Level
Airman Leadership School is the first level of enlisted PME that Airmen complete as they progress through their USAF careers.

Where ALS Is Offered

ALS is offered at almost every installation across the USAF.

ALS Purpose

ALS is designed to prepare Senior Airmen to be professional warfighting Airmen, able to supervise and lead USAF teams to support the employment of air and cyberspace power.

ALS Curriculum

The ALS curriculum includes:

  1. Mission
  2. Leadership
  3. Problem solving
  4. USAF culture

NCO-DL and NCO Academy

Noncommissioned Officer Distance Learning (NCO-DL)

NCO-DL Audience
The NCO-DL course is open to Air Reserve Component Airmen.

Purpose

The NCO-DL course provides PME for basic NCO institutional competency development required to prepare enlisted leaders to be professional, warfighting Airmen and Guardians who can:

- Lead and manage USAF units in the employment of air and space power

Three Course Modules

NCO-DL Modules.
  1. Course foundation
  2. Leadership and management
  3. Operational Airman

Successful Completion

To successfully complete this course, students are required to pass three course exams, demonstrating curriculum mastery by attaining the minimum passing score on each exam.

EPME DLC Status

DLC No Longer Prerequisite
EPME Distance Learning Courses (DLC) completion is no longer a prerequisite for resident attendance, effective 26 April 2018.
New Enrollments Closed
Air University will no longer allow new enrollments for active component Airmen. Airmen may access EPME DLC for reference purposes only through the Air University Student Information System (AUSIS).

Noncommissioned Officer Academy (NCOA)

NCOA Mission
The NCO Academy mission is to prepare enlisted leaders for current and future leadership and management opportunities to operate (think and act) critically in complex and ambiguous environments.

Intermediate Leadership Experience

The NCOA program encompasses the intermediate leadership experience, which includes:

  • Guided discussions
  • Experiential exercises
  • Case study analysis
  • Immersive leadership development laboratories

…designed to improve an NCO's competence, confidence, and will to exercise assigned leadership responsibilities.

SNCO-DL, SNCO Academy, and Chief Leadership Course (CLC)

Senior Noncommissioned Officer Distance Learning (SNCO-DL)

SNCO-DL Audience
This course is open to Air Reserve Component Airmen.

Purpose

The SNCO-DL Course provides institutional competency development required to prepare SNCOs to lead the enlisted force at the tactical and operational levels.

Three Curriculum Attributes

SNCO-DL Attributes
The curriculum's design heightens students' appreciation and understanding of three attributes:
  1. Self-awareness
  2. Leadership and management
  3. Joint warfighter

Successful Completion

To successfully complete the course, students are required to demonstrate curriculum mastery by attaining the minimum passing score on each of three module exams.

Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy (SNCOA)

SNCOA Scale
The SNCO Academy trains up to 2,250 USAF, Navy, Coast Guard, Marine, and international SNCOs annually.

SNCOA Mission

SNCOA Mission
The SNCOA mission is to develop joint and coalition senior enlisted leaders to influence mission success in dynamic service environments.

Advanced Leadership Experience

The SNCOA program encompasses the advanced leadership experience, representing comprehensive institutional competency development.

Preparation for Strategic Roles

The SNCOA is designed to sharpen senior enlisted leader skills with education that helps prepare them for continued and increased relevant responsibilities in:

  • Joint
  • Combined
  • Interagency
  • Strategic environments

Chief Leadership Course (CLC)

CLC — Capstone of Enlisted PME
The Chief Leadership Course is the capstone and pinnacle level of enlisted PME.

CLC Purpose

Currently, the CLC provides newly selected Chief Master Sergeants with foundational, strategic-level leadership competencies.

Scale

CLC Scale
The CLC conducts seven classes per year, educating 750 Total Force Chief Master Sergeants and Chief Master Sergeant-selects annually.

CLC Mission and Vision

CLC Mission
The CLC mission is to provide chiefs the education to bridge operational-to-strategic perspectives of the Air Force.
CLC Vision
The CLC vision is to develop chiefs into strategic level leaders and to inspire them to effectively lead, manage, and mentor today's Airmen.

What CLC Demands

The CLC demands:

  • Extensive self-study
  • Critical creative thinking
  • Communication
  • Interpersonal skills

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