Photo By Tech. Sgt. Daniel Peterson | Megan Mudersbach, 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, presents her team’s capstone...... read more read more
Subscribe
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- I believe in seizing opportunities that align with my goals, understanding how we each contribute to the mission, connecting with people outside my immediate circle, and respectfully taking initiative when needed. These values have been essential throughout my career as a civilian Public Affairs specialist. My recent experience as a member of the 2025 LEADership Wright-Patt Program not only embodied these principles but amplified them.
Led by the 88th Force Support Squadron’s Force Development Flight, this competitive program encompassed 14 in-person training days over five months. The 26-person cohort represented 17 unique organizations at Wright-Patt and provided a space to connect with others on their own professional development journey.
Immersive engagements
From the flightline at the 445th Airlift Wing to the research laboratories at the Air Force Institute of Technology and Air Force Research Laboratory, the program exposed me to the incredible missions happening every day at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. A variety of immersive engagements allowed us to hear directly from those driving the mission and provided a firsthand look into Air Force and Space Force operations. These experiences reinforced the importance of understanding how each person contributes to the overall mission.
Where we visited:
• Headquarter Air Force Materiel Command
• Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
• Air Force Research Laboratory
• Air Force Installation Contracting Center
• National Air and Space Intelligence Center
• National Space Intelligence Center
• 88th Air Base Wing
• 445th Airlift Wing
• 655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing
• Air Force Institute of Technology
• National Museum of the United States Air Force
Equip & empower
To further empower us as change agents, the program included introductory AFIT courses on data analytics, Theory of Constraints, Lean Six Sigma, and project management. I’ve begun applying these practical skills so that I can help advance organizational management practices. These courses, coupled with mentorship from senior leaders, further enhanced my ability to approach challenges strategically and offer innovative solutions.
Theory meets practice
The capstone project brought everything together. At the start of the program, we were assigned to one of four groups and challenged to tackle a real-world Air Force issue. This required cross-functional collaboration, strategic planning, root cause analysis, and consultation with subject matter experts. We then presented our solution to a judging panel comprised of experts in financial management, installation leadership, and force support including Lt. Gen. Donna Shipton, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center commander; Ms. Kimberly Keck, Deputy Director of Financial Management, Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command; Col. Dustin Richards, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander, and Ms. Moira Trevisan, Director, 88th Force Support Squadron.
Following the presentations, Mr. John Faulkner, 88 ABW technical director, presented each 2025 LEADership Wright-Patt graduate with a certificate of completion, reflecting five months of intense leadership development, innovation, and teamwork.
LEADership Wright-Patt reinforced my commitment to being a change agent within the United States Air Force. I’m sincerely grateful for this opportunity and excited to see the positive impact my fellow graduates and I will make in the years to come.
If you’re interested in learning more about the program, reach out to FSDED at 88fss.fsded.hrworkflow@us.af.mil, or check out their SharePoint at https://usaf.dps.mil/sites/FSD/SitePages/FSDD/Leadershipwrightpatt.aspx. Note: This is a CAC-enabled webpage.
For more photos from the LEADership Wright-Patt capstone presentation and graduation: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wrightpattafb/albums/72177720327553932/
| Date Taken: | 08.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.19.2025 14:46 |
| Story ID: | 545889 |
| Location: | WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, US |
| Hometown: | WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 16 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, LEADership Wright-Patt: A foundation for growth, by Megan Mudersbach, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
