Civilians begin leadership training program at Air University Published Nov. 4, 2008 By Christine Harrison Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) -- Twenty-five Air Force civilians began the first Civilian Acculturation and Leadership Training Program at Air University's Officer Training School Oct. 27 here. The program leads the 25-member group through a two-week course adapted from the OTS curriculum indoctrinated with Air Force leadership and core value lessons. "We were contacted by about 20 students and everyone was excited and eager to get here," said Dr. Charles Nath, the CALT curriculum director. Last year, the chief of staff of the Air Force asked the staff at the Holm Center to develop a civilian course that mirrored OTS. Dr. Nath described the result as an OTS-like leadership development course for prospective Air Force civilian leaders. "Because the OTS curriculum is military specific, we could not just pull it off the shelf; we had to adjust some of the lessons, such as our case studies, to make them more relevant," he said. The students will attend classes on leadership, teambuilding and communication, and end with a Squadron Officer College course on war games. "The war game is a new venture for us since OTS does not include a war game in its current curriculum -- but that may change," Dr. Nath said. "If it works, we will consider putting it in the OTS and (ROTC) programs." Other additions to the CALT curriculum that are also not traditionally part of OTS and ROTC include blocks on supervising civilians, writing civilian performance appraisals and classes on budgeting. Most of the junior-level Air Force civilian students come from support career fields such as contracting and personnel. The selection criteria included graduates of the Student Career Experience Program or interns with either the Copper Cap program for contract specialists or the Palace Acquire program for other career fields. All of the students have worked with the Air Force for at least two years. "The Air Force is at an historic crossroad with regards to our civilians," said Joseph McDade, the force development director for the deputy chief of staff for manpower and personnel. "As we've drawn down, civilian leadership opportunities have increased, particularly among our support communities. The program stems from the need to ensure our civilian developmental paths are as deliberate as those of every other Airman." Dr. Nath said he hopes the students walk away from the course with a better understanding and appreciation of the overall Air Force mission and the tools to help them become better leaders. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page