Photo By Tech. Sgt. Anthony Nelson | Ugandan Air Force Sgt. Magambo Charles stands in front of the Chief Master Sgt. James...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii— With one phone call, two Ugandan airmen received the news that they would fly more than 7,000 miles to train alongside their U.S. counterparts in Airman Leadership School.
After receiving the news, Sgts. Turyamureba Daniel and Magambo Charles, Ugandan Air Force aircraft technicians, boarded a plane to the U.S. three days later.
"Selection for this position was a strict process," said Daniel. "We had to take several exams, conduct multiple interviews, a medical screening, and complete a fitness assessment."
The ALS program prepares Airmen for current and future leadership and management with a focus on four outcome-based objectives: culture, mission, leadership, and problem-solving.
"Representing the Ugandan Air Force and my family means so much to me,” said Daniel. "I'm grateful for the U.S. and Ugandan partnership.
‘The opportunity to participate and gain valuable training--this experience helps both nations become stronger and gives me the ability to take my knowledge back to Uganda and share with Airmen."
Once in Hawaii, Daniel and Charles met Senior Master Sgt. James Ponziano, 15th Wing international military student officer.
"Our role is to get them checked into lodging and orient them with the base," said Ponziano. "After that, we do a base tour to discuss standards, expectations, training agendas, and local and base policies."
Ponziano reminded Daniel and Charles of the challenges, barriers, and obstacles that would arise during the 24-day curriculum and graduation requirements.
After starting ALS, Charles volunteered to be the class leader for his class alongside U.S. Space Force Sergeant. Carol Grande, 8th Intelligence Squadron senior threat analyst.
"This is the first time we had an international student volunteer to be a class leader," said Master Sgt. Brien Tarkington, 15th Wing Professional Military Education Center director of operations. "After interviewing each of the applicants, the instructors felt Charles would be an excellent fit for the position."
While most students spent the first few days of class reviewing the assigned training material, Daniel and Charles adjusted to a new country, culture, and language.
"I told myself to remain determined and focus toward my end goal of graduating the class,” said Daniel. "I didn't look at the language barrier and others barriers as an excuse not to learn but embraced it as a challenge to grow."
Grande found a way to connect with the Ugandan airmen through shared interests, and eventually overcame the language barrier. Grande, Charles, and Daniel spent hours assisting each other throughout the course and learned about each others’ values, experiences, and cultures.
Daniel and Charles connected with more Airmen through games of soccer that they played on the weekends. The soccer field, or pitch, quickly became a familiar sight for Daniel and Charles after completing their coursework.
"I learned that success on the pitch is similar to success in uniform," said Charles. "Mission success is a teamwork priority [as on the pitch and battlefield]. Working in teams can bring various experiences to accomplish a common goal."
In addition to academic requirements, the course required students to create community projects to reinforce the Whole Airman Concept. Both Daniels and Charles worked together on a local beach clean up collecting more than 200 pounds of garbage.
Both Ugandan airmen graduated from ALS and made their way back to their home country, with not only an American experience but an Air Force one.
"We have to establish a common ground to communicate from, for us [military] it's to execute the mission while getting to know your people and taking care of each other,” said Grande. "After meeting Daniel and Charles, I gained valuable insights that challenged me to think differently and orient myself strategically to be an asset to the U.S. Space Force and our allies."
| Date Taken: | 07.13.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 07.13.2021 14:05 |
| Story ID: | 400804 |
| Location: | UG |
| Web Views: | 132 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Coming to America: International airmen, USAF educated, by TSgt Anthony Nelson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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