Photo By Master Sgt. Brigette Waltermire | U.S. Air Force Col. Robert Dunham, a commander with the 137th Special Operations Wing,...... read more read more
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The Oklahoma National Guard recently launched Air Leadership Oklahoma, a course designed to provide professional development and relationship-building opportunities for seasoned Airmen, both enlisted and officer, assigned to the 137th Special Operations Wing and 138th Fighter Wing.
The course was held Sept. 14-16, 2026, at the Oklahoma National Guard Wellness Center in Oklahoma City. Around 30 students ranging from master sergeants to lieutenant colonels participated in the course.
“My biggest takeaway is that it has helped demystify a lot of the beliefs and goals of our senior leaders,” said Master Sgt. Nicholas Lasher, senior enlisted leader of intelligence for the 138th Operations Group. “I also think this type of engagement will help trickle down to the unit level and spread. My favorite thing the first day was the intel brief, and that kind of engagement is what I think needs to happen more at the base level.”
The initiative was developed by Col. James Cheatham, commander of the 138th Maintenance Group, and presented to Oklahoma Air National Guard leadership at Joint Force Headquarters. Cheatham was inspired to propose the course, following professional development conferences the 138th FW had conducted, and to help bridge what Airmen put into practice between their professional military education and taking on senior leadership roles such as senior enlisted leaders or directors of operations.
“We’ve seen these Airmen hungry for continued development,” Cheatham said. “They are fully engaged, asking questions and seeking people out for additional information. As leaders, we must stay cutting edge to maintain excellence in all we do. This course provides the tools and resources, and builds relationships and skills that keep leaders sharp.”
The final course took a year to develop and has a specific curriculum for focus areas of leadership, readiness, operations and connectedness.
“More than just leadership, the relationships built here will help Airmen look outward and ask for advice or gain insight,” said Dunham. “The more our next-level leaders can learn, the better the better the wing will be in the future. One thing I noted from every speaker is you never stop learning. There may be born leaders, but no matter how inherent, you also need to have opportunities to learn.”
The course was designed by Cheatham alongside Dunham and a team of Air National Guardsmen including: Lt. Cols. Chad Burks, Sam Smith, and Eric Underwood; Chief Master Sgts. Scherryl Coulter, Amber Fieker, and Robbie Irvin; and retired Chief Master Sgt. Tom White. The course received administrative support from the 138th Maintenance Group and communications Airmen with 137th Special Operations Wing.
| Date Taken: | 09.16.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2026 14:25 |
| Story ID: | 574738 |
| Location: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 10 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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