Photo By Tech. Sgt. John Linzmeier | Hawaii Air National Guard Airmen gather around the flagpole March 9, 2020, at McGhee...... read more read more
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For many Airmen, the transition from a junior-enlisted service member to an NCO is one of the most pivotal milestones in their career. While pinning on the rank of Staff Sergeant is usually achieved by enrolling in Airman Leadership School, one class of Hawaii Air National Guard Airmen persevered through the impacts of COVID-19 and went through the curriculum twice this year.
The 13 Airmen began their first phase of professional military education in February at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, in Tennessee. Like so many wingmen who graduated before them, the students were immersed in a degree path focused on team management skills, mentoring, military heritage, public speaking, communication techniques, along with other Air Force values.
“It was an interesting experience for us because everybody came from different walks of life,” said Senior Airman Josh Leonard, a student from the 154th Civil Engineer Squadron. “The big thing for me was the development of communication skills. I think the course is good at preparing you to network with others and see things from their point of view. That seems to come to me a lot easier now.”
As they approached the final week, out of six in late March, national security measures took precedence over the curriculum. COVID-19 response efforts, and an impending DoD travel ban, compelled McGhee Tyson leadership to cancel all classes resulting in the student corps being sent home to their respective units.
“Initially I was kinda’ bummed that we never got credit for ALS, even though we were so close to finishing, and I can imagine everyone else had a little irritation in them as well,” said Senior Airman Devin Pagdilao, a student from the 169th Air Defense Squadron. “The process for us was a little longer than expected but I truly believed that everything would work out. I had to keep reminding myself that everything happens for a reason and things will soon come around.”
Among the 13 HIANG Airmen who were sent back home, Leonard and another classmate, Senior Airman Jorge Asuncion, volunteered to serve their communities in the subsequent COVID-19 response activation. The two served alongside other Airmen and Soldiers in joint task forces in the islands of Hawaii and Oahu, where they helped service food distribution sites, airport monitoring stations, security details, and other functions to aid the state’s first responders.
Other returning students found themselves in challenging times back at home with job furloughs in the civilian sector, adapting to social distancing measures, and providing for family members. Along with many hardships related to the ongoing crisis, each Airman was also dealing with the lost opportunity to promote in the HIANG.
While the group of NCOs-in-the-making were cut short of their anticipated rank progression, the change-of-plans didn’t entirely stop the Airmen from applying their newly-developed leadership skills in the workplace.
“When they came back, I did see them grow in the form of looking out for each other and also for those around them,” said Chief Master Sgt. Moniz. “And that’s a quality that everyone would want from a leader - for them to look out for their people. Initially, it must have initially felt like a punch in the stomach for some of them. But I do see how it taught them persistence when it comes to getting things done and reaching their goals.”
After three months of waiting for an update, the Airmen were notified that a new, virtual curriculum was in development, and they were selected to attend the course again in a virtual in-residence, distant learning environment. This time around, all HIANG students were grouped together into the same student flight, Fight C, banding the Airmen even closer together.
As a team that had nearly completed the course, the Hawaii Airmen were ideal candidates to critique the new program’s daily lessons, shaping an improved learning experience for future classes.
Pagdilao said the new learning environment came with a new set of challenges, as the application of reading material and course discussions were held digitally. Others faced new hurdles that come with studying at home, such as attending to family needs, maintaining a solitary workspace, and showing support for children who were struggling to study in a similar capacity.
After six-weeks of persevering and engaging one another with the leadership material and nearly six months since their original enrolment date, Flight C’s graduation ceremony was broadcasted online Aug. 14, for friends and family to see.
“The whole ordeal was definitely hard on them,” said Moniz. But in the end, it was nice to see them come together and grow as a group because that’s what the HIANG is all about – family. They stuck together through it all like family and it's these kinds of experiences that shape NCOs for the rest of their career”
| Date Taken: | 10.03.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 10.13.2020 22:13 |
| Story ID: | 380758 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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