Airmen expand horizons through education

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) -- The commandant and the superintendent of the Community College of the Air Force recently visited here and shared their views on the importance of pursuing higher education.

Col. Thomas Klincar, the commandant, spoke of the bond he felt with the base.

“I am especially excited to be here for the (CCAF) graduation this year,” the colonel said. “I have a strong personal tie to the Yokota enlisted force because 50 years ago this month, my dad, then Airman 2nd Class Russell Klincar, married my mother, Teiko Tagasugi, here.”

Colonel Klincar said his father had a difficult time finding work right after high school so he joined the Air Force. Airman Klincar was trained as a machinist and then came to Yokota to work on the F-86 Sabres and B-29 Superfortresses, refining his skills.

“My dad only served in the Air Force for one enlistment and then moved to our hometown in St. Louis, where he went right to work for McDonnell-Douglas as a machinist,” Colonel Klincar said. “They gave him a very good career because the skills he acquired in the Air Force were valued by industry.”

The colonel said that commercial industry values the skills, knowledge, training and education that Airmen receive.

“It is different now than it was for my dad. We didn’t have the CCAF back in 1956. It wasn’t until 1972 that the college was created,” the colonel said. “Today you need that piece of paper, that diploma, to get through the door and get your skills recognized. CCAF fulfills a very important role in the professional development of our Airmen and I think anyone who doesn’t pursue a CCAF degree is doing themselves a disservice.” 

Chief Master Sgt. Andy Null, the CCAF superintendent,said the Air Force sets the stage for further education.

“The Air Force will ensure Airmen are technically trained through their career fields and get a professional military education,” the chief said. “However, as far as civilian education, the responsibility is on the individual to take the steps available to them. 

The chief said that Airmen who pursue higher education are being promoted sooner than those who don’t.

“Hopefully this is a beacon for folks who don’t have their degrees. This is what our senior leaders are looking for in the Air Force,” Chief Null said. “We are looking for that whole person, that person who has mastered their technical skills, mastered their professional military education and stepped outside of their technical world to become educated in a civilian organization.”

Chief Null said that only 64 credit hours are required to earn a CCAF degree.

“(Training in) most of our career fields(fulfills) 75 percent of those 64 semester hours by the time an Airman has completed Airman Leadership School,” said the chief. “They will only need to earn about five general education courses and that is phenomenal.”

The chief said that a CCAF degree is still relevant for an Airman entering the service with a bachelor’s or master’s degree because it gives that Airman a degree in his or her technical discipline. In addition to associate in applied science degrees,CCAF offers Airmen the chance to expand technical skills through certification and licensure programs.

“Many people need occupational certification to progress in the military and the civilian sector. For example, maintenance people need the Airframe and Powerplant certification, paralegals need certification through the American Bar Association and paramedics need certification to succeed outside the force,” said the colonel. “We are going to start offering those testing opportunities through the CCAF, saving our Airmen a lot of money and time.”

A CCAF degree, paired with those occupational certifications and licensures, will give a person a step-up once they decide to separate, the chief said.

“Those two items together are respected," Chief Null said. "A degree says they’ve been educated; certifications and licensures say they’ve experienced it.”