Engineering Character

Photo By Gianna Greben | Maj Richard Nova stands with cadets at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, as they enter the final days of Field Training. Cadets will then begin the first of three training sessions where Maj Nova serves on temporary duty as a Flight Training Officer. He normally serves as an Operations Officer at AFROTC Detachment 159, University of Central Florida (CE Weekly photo courtesy of Maj Richard Nova).  

UNITED STATES

07.27.2020

Courtesy Story

Headquarters Air Force, Office of the Director of Civil Engineers

CE Weekly submission by Lt Col David Sulhoff //

There is no “pause” button on the Civil Engineer mission, whether you are serving in a squadron, on a staff, or on instructor duty. A CE instructor may not see the 2:00 a.m. water main breaks or short notice deployments, but their role requires similar dedication and focus to achieve mission success. It requires tough calls when a cadet’s grades or performance go south and entails plenty of reheated dinners after a long day. Ultimately, the biggest difference in their mission is what instructors engineer—in the case of ROTC, it is character.

Capt Jordan Woods engineers character as the Operations Flight Commander at AFROTC Detachment 855, Brigham Young University. In his two years on the job, Capt Woods has grown to appreciate the opportunity to serve as a mentor to aspiring cadets. “There is a lot of job satisfaction and opportunity for personal and professional growth,” says Woods. In his eyes, serving as an instructor is a way to give back. “I really appreciated my AFROTC instructors and still keep in touch with them. I really enjoy being that instructor for a few cadets.”

A thousand miles south, at Texas State University, Col Jack Blalock engineers character as the commander of Detachment 840, 1 of only 28 such billets for any O-6 serving in AFROTC. As an instructor, Col Blalock finds ways to stay connected to the CE mission through his cadets. “Nothing is more satisfying than watching our amazing men and women tackle a project or fix something,” says Blalock. Now that he has been bitten by the teaching ‘bug,’ Col Blalock has solidified his plans to stay with the job even after his approaching retirement.

Serving as an AFROTC instructor is rewarding in its own right, though the task of engineering character is not as easy as one might think. Maj Richard Nova, Operations Officer for Detachment 159, University of Central Florida, has a reminder for interested officers: “If you are looking for a job to put up your feet and attend college sporting events, AFROTC is not for you. This job is busier than any job I’ve held.” Still, Maj Nova feeds off the energy and excitement of tomorrow’s Air Force and Space Force leaders. “The best part is to watch them find their passion and then put them on a path to achieve their goals,” says Maj Nova.

Some individuals engineer character in a broader role within the world of instruction, such as Col Tom Bongiovi, AFROTC’s Northeast Region Commander. Before serving in his current role at Wright-Patterson AFB, Col Bongiovi has had the opportunity to serve in a variety of roles across the Civil Engineer community; from RED HORSE to EOD, Seabee exchange to Squadron Command, and deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, and more. As a lifelong learner, he appreciates the new challenges that instructor duty presents to him. “It’s easy to direct people who know and understand everything you’re telling them,” said Bongiovi. “It’s another thing entirely to have to teach, mentor, train, develop, and grow the personnel that you’re leading.” Col Bongiovi encourages others to look past false perceptions that instructor duty is only reserved for the most experienced or credible, or that it will hurt their career advancement. “Both perceptions are false,” says Bongiovi. “Being a successful instructor will make CE officers better and stronger leaders when they return… being a good teacher requires empathy, analytical and conceptual skills, and mastery of written and spoken communication techniques, which are hallmarks of great officers and great engineer leaders.”

The 12 CE officers meeting the Air Force’s accession needs at ROTC detachments, headquarters, and the Academy play a crucial role within the CE community. Brig Gen John Allen Jr, former Director of Civil Engineers and current AFCEC Commander, recognizes the importance of this role, especially as leaders work to improve manning in every squadron. Yet, Brig Gen Allen still encourages every CE Officer to incorporate at least one Recruiting Officer, Instructor, or Special Duty assignment in their balance of base level, deployment, and staff experiences. “These assignments are opportunities for some of our outstanding CE Officers to have a part in shaping future Airmen, and further perpetuating a strong foundation for our civil engineer community,” says Allen.

Timing and preparation are key for all assignments, and there is no time like the present to connect with a CE mentor to discuss opportunities to shape our future force. But first, Col Blalock has a few words of caution for prospective instructors: “Don’t be an instructor too early in your career. Get some good experiences around the [Air Force] so you can bring lesson plans to life.” For those with plenty of experience under their belts, Col Blalock suggests, “Do all you can to get an instructor job because it’s your chance to help the next generation start off on the right foot.” When asked if he would he do it again, Col Blalock responded: “Always…any time any place!”

Lt Col David Sulhoff is the commander of AFROTC Detachment 218, Indiana State University. Lt Col Sulhoff extends special thanks to Brig Gen John Allen, Jr., Col Tom Bongiovi, Col Jack Blalock, Maj Richard Nova, and Capt Jordan Woods for their contributions, as well as the many other Airmen Engineers who have served as instructors both past and present.

• Date Taken: 07.27.2020
• Date Posted: 07.27.2020 08:47
• Story ID: 374640
• Location: US