Photo By Staff Sgt. Patricia McMurphy | U.S. Army Alaska Command Sgt. Maj. Bernie Knight (in red beret) USARAK...... read more read more
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FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska - The Warrior Leader’s Course is a military leadership course required for advancement in the enlisted ranks, which in U.S. Army Alaska is normally taught at Joint Base Richardson-Elmendorf in Anchorage for soldiers based in Alaska.
Soldiers stationed in areas other than Anchorage normally must leave their friends and family behind for four weeks to attend the course.
Luckily for the soldiers here at Fort Wainwright who recently returned from a one-year deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom, those who have already spent a year spent away from friends, family and the comforts of home, the Christopher R. Brevard Noncommissioned Officer Academy packed up and came to them.
“The decision was made to bring it here for three classes to hopefully knock out the majority of the soldiers who needed WLC, so they don’t have to leave their families,” said Staff Sgt. Steven Stark, a small group instructor with the academy.
Stark, who’s only been with the academy for seven months said he doesn’t mind the temporary move and has been enjoying the warmer weather Fairbanks has to offer.
“I love the job,” Stark said. “It’s very rewarding.”
Bringing the course to Fort Wainwright has not only been a rewarding experience for the staff and cadre of the academy, but for the soldiers attending the course as well.
“It has meant a lot to me,” said Christian Mancheno, a Stryker mechanic with 25th Brigade Support Battalion, Forward Maintenance Company.
“I get to spend a lot more time with my family and it allowed me to continue with my college education,” said Mancheno. “By being here, right next to home, it allowed be to continue with my academic and family responsibilities.”
The course itself also had its rewards, according to Mancheno.
“There were a lot of things I didn’t know and hadn’t used before in my Army Career,” said Mancheno. “The instructors were very knowledgeable in everything they talked about and they were able to answer and give references for questions I had.”
“I liked the interaction with the instructors. They’re highly motivated, driven people,” said Mancheno.
Mancheno’s advice to future WLC students is that they for them to take the course seriously and give 100 percent at all times.
Mancheno is but one of the more than 380 soldiers that has have been waiting for WLC. These soldiers almost unanimously said they were happy that the course come came to them and make helped make life after deployment a little less stressful.
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2012 19:54 |
| Story ID: | 93840 |
| Location: | FORT WAINWRIGHT, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 197 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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