MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. — Air University students participated in combined operations March 5, 2026, as the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy and Squadron Officer School joined for a day of immersive learning and collaboration.
The event brought together more than 900 senior noncommissioned officers and company grade officers in a shared educational environment to exchange experiences, share perspectives and strengthen professional relationships.
“This is an investment in your professional military education,” Maj. Gen. Parker H. Wright, commander of the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine, Development, and Education, said during opening remarks to students. “Mission command is a leadership philosophy and a command-and-control construct built on fundamental principles. One is shared situational awareness — we must all operate from the same sheet of music. Only then can we build the trust required to work together as an effective team.”
Students were encouraged to move beyond simply gaining different perspectives and instead focus on learning how to operate as a cohesive team.
“Captains, ask how it feels to be on the other side of your leadership,” Col. Stephanie Q. Wilson, commander of the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, said. “SNCOs, ask for advice. Everyone has different personalities and approaches challenges in different ways, but together we can achieve more.”
During the combined operations, students formed 20-member flights composed of approximately 13 captains and seven senior noncommissioned officers. The day included an icebreaker, classroom discussion, and a physical and mental team challenge.
“It is vital that we learn to work together now because there is a very real possibility that, in the future, it will just be me and my SNCO,” Capt. Alonjahnae Brooks, a Squadron Officer School student, said. “We are practicing these group dynamics here so they are not a surprise later. When we eventually face high-pressure situations, we will already have the reps and sets needed to lead our teams through adversity together.”
SNCOA leadership also reminded students that the Enlisted Force Structure outlines the responsibility of senior noncommissioned officers to mentor and support junior officers as they develop leadership skills and prepare for increased responsibilities.
“It’s a senior noncommissioned officer’s job to train alongside officers,” Master Sgt. Monica Braden, a Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy student, said. “It is written in our ‘brown book’ that we develop our counterparts, so this is a great opportunity to collaborate and discuss how we work best together while gaining perspective between a SNCO and a company grade officer.”
Squadron Officer School is a five-and-a-half-week professional military education program at Maxwell Air Force Base designed to develop leadership, teamwork and critical-thinking skills in Air Force and Space Force captains, as well as civilian leaders.
The Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy is a five-week professional military education program located at Maxwell Air Force Base–Gunter Annex. The program prepares master sergeants and senior master sergeants for increased leadership responsibilities and focuses on strategic leadership, national security and operational capability to lead the enlisted force in the employment of air and space power.
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