An Airman Leadership School Instructor is a position in the Air Force that many people don’t even know exists and I had the honor and pleasure of being one.
For the last four years, I’ve spent my days in the Avenger Flight classroom of the Chief Master Sergeant Donald L. Harlow schoolhouse on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland with some of AMERICA’S COOLEST PEOPLE—Airmen, Guardians, Sailors, And Coast Guardians.
As an instructor, my job was to prepare the frontline supervisors for their challenges in this ever-changing environment and give them tools to overcome the continuous evolution of the modern landscape so they can be the most effective warfighters possible. In short…prepare for the craziness they got themselves into!
I know it sounds like I took that straight from the brochure, but in all seriousness…this job was exactly that and more.
The badassness of our servicemembers will never cease to amaze me. Every day brought its challenges but also its beautiful and glorious moments within Avenger flight. I can’t sit here and say I was perfect at this job because my early students had a lot to deal with when it came to me but over time, I truly hit my stride and found a groove that has forever changed my life. Many come back, call, and text still and share how their life has changed.
Now, I could regale you with tales of my time in the classroom but let's distill it down to three nuggets of wisdom:
Leaders create the environment.
Yup, it's true. If the vibe in the room feels like a sad trombone solo, guess who's conducting the orchestra? There is no one else to blame but the leader when an environment is….not good. People do not feel themselves and hesitate to engage productively. I recall in my early years trying to make sure students felt they could be themselves and open their hearts to each other on topics that are driving our force forward and affecting the global community. Over time I figured out how to do this faster and quicker with more students entering this circle over time. There is power in a room that is driven by a leader who cares to invite those in.
They watch you more than they listen to what you say.
My students listened of course. But what I did always held more weight. If I slouched, they slouched. If I came with energy they matched it. No matter what I did, we were in constant dialogue without saying a word. I could feel the fire within each student as they aimed to learn and become better sailors, guardians, airmen, and petty officers. By the time my fourth year started, the heat was palpable and you knew my students as they walked down the hall. They were bought in. And they felt like part of a home. Part of a family. Because they didn’t listen to what I said but watched what I did.
People are truly the most valuable resource of our military.
Our Senior leaders routinely talk about the power and value of people in the Force. “People are our most valuable resource”—they continuously say. The truth is that as a young airman with little life experience who just left home to serve their country, or for health benefits, or school benefits, it can be a struggle to feel like you are part of something bigger. For some, it truly takes a little bit of time before we see ourselves as part of the broader mission. But I can honestly tell you that our most valuable resource is not a plane, a boat, a gunship, or even chemical weapons…IT IS OUR PEOPLE. That is why this job is crucial. Our people need development in ways equipment and computers don’t need.
So what now?
Now I see that my many students brought incredibly different perspectives I will forever cherish. I had students from Canada, Ohio, Idaho, Cameroon, Cape Verde Islands, Philippines, Germany, California, ghana, south Africa, Ukraine, Russia, China, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Texas, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, New York, Maryland, Nevada, Spain, France, Croatia, Jordan, Italy…and the list goes on and on.
How could I ever repay the Air Force for the most incredible opportunity? I’m not sure but I’ll be spending some time figuring that out and giving back to my family, and the military community.
My students thought I was the one teaching them, but little did they know that I learned more from them than they ever could from me.
Thank you.
Once an Avenger, Always an Avenger