Photo By Tech. Sgt. Cherish Chavez | U.S. Air Force Airmen raise their hands while seated in the auditorium at the...... read more read more
Subscribe
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. — Junior enlisted U.S. Air Force Airmen at Joint Base Langley-Eustis are moving through professional development training at a faster pace, thanks to a locally developed “surge week” model for the Foundations 300 course.
Foundations 300 is a weeklong course designed to bridge the gap between initial training and Airman Leadership School, providing junior enlisted Airmen with tools to grow as professionals and future leaders.
“Foundations 300 exists to be that middle gap in order to give them some useful tools to help them be better Airmen, be better educated and to network,” said Senior Master Sgt. Staci Kasischke, 633d Force Support Squadron development advisor.
At larger installations like JBLE, meeting demand for the course has been a challenge. With a high population of junior enlisted Airmen and limited classroom space, leaders sought a solution to ensure Airmen, especially those selected for promotion to staff sergeant, could complete the course on time.
Their answer: surge weeks.
By coordinating with ALS, development advisors use available classroom space to run multiple Foundations 300 classes simultaneously during designated weeks. This allows dozens of Airmen to complete the course at once while maintaining small class sizes.
“We just hold five to six classes at one time,” Kasischke said. “It’s a big push to get all the Airmen through. It’s been our solution here at Langley.”
While some installations host large, auditorium-style courses, JBLE intentionally preserves the small-group structure that makes Foundations interactive. Instead of increasing class size, the surge model expands capacity by running multiple courses at once.
“Foundations is supposed to be very interactive,” Kasischke said. “This was our solution to getting all Airmen through without having a class every single week in random spots.”
The model also creates unique opportunities for connection. While Airmen spend most of their time in smaller classes known as “flights,” surge weeks bring all participants together for group events, fostering broader networking across the installation.
“It gives Airmen an opportunity to meet more than just the 15 or so other people in their class,” Kasischke said.
“The whole building becomes a Foundations environment, which is pretty cool.”
Airmen who have already gone through the surge model reported benefits when attending ALS later, Kasischke added.
“They said it was so cool to meet people before ALS and already have built those friendships,” she said.
The surge approach also allows development advisors to better leverage experienced facilitators. Subject-matter experts from across the base teach course blocks, and larger combined sessions enable more Airmen to benefit from high-level instruction at once.
“It gives us flexibility,” Kasischke said. “If there’s a block that’s harder to fill, we can combine classes and have one experienced facilitator teach a larger group.”
While the model has improved efficiency, it does come with limitations. Airmen who are unavailable during a surge week may have to wait several weeks for the next opportunity, as courses are typically aligned with ALS schedules.
Despite that challenge, Kasischke said the program is helping JBLE stay ahead of the demand and better prepare Airmen earlier in their careers.
“Our goal is to get more Airmen through right after they make senior airman rather than waiting until they get a line number for staff sergeant,” she said. “We’re getting ahead.”
For many Airmen, the impact is immediate.
“It’s honestly pretty awesome. It’s eye-opening,” said Senior Airman Jake Schmude, 27th Fighter Generation Squadron load crew member. “It gets me into the mental thought process of higher-ups and leadership.”
Schmude said the course has helped him better understand leadership’s perspective as he prepares to become a noncommissioned officer.
“The next rank for me is staff sergeant, and I’m going to be leading a crew,” he said. “It’s helped me understand other people’s perspectives and how to help my future Airmen make the right decisions.”
Schmude said the course’s focus on topics such as risk management and leadership helped him gain insight into not only his own responsibilities, but also the obstacles faced by other career fields.
“It opens your eyes to what other people are dealing with,” he said. “You realize everyone’s working through different challenges.”
The small-group format remains one of the most valuable aspects of the course, even during surge weeks.
“I’m definitely more compelled to speak up and ask questions when I’m not sitting in a room of 60 people,” Schmude said. “The relationships I make between my peers are more meaningful.”
Schmude also highlighted access to mentorship as a key benefit, noting that instructors often provide guidance Airmen may not receive in their day-to-day work environments.
“It’s nice to know in a classroom setting that they’re there to help me,” he said. “Some of those ideas I would never think of on my own.”
As Foundations continues to expand across the Air Force, Kasischke said programs like JBLE’s surge weeks demonstrate how installations can adapt to meet the needs of their Airmen while preserving the intent of the curriculum.
“I think Foundations is a pretty awesome addition to our enlisted side,” she said. “It gives every Airman more opportunity for professional development and to build those connections early.”
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2026 16:27 |
| Story ID: | 564021 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Meeting the mission: JBLE scales Foundations 300 course through surge weeks, by TSgt Cherish Chavez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
