PME boosts civilian leadership opportunities

  • Published
  • By Susan Griggs
  • 81st Training Wing Public Affairs
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFPN) --  In the Air Force's current climate of shared leadership, civilians are being provided opportunities to fill positions that have historically been held by military officers.

For goal-oriented civilians, there are many opportunities to attend professional military education courses to prepare for career advancement.

Quotas allow civilians to attend PME courses that provide leadership doctrine and management philosophy through in-residence attendance, on-base seminars and correspondence courses.

Last year, Kimberly Dunaway, the acting faculty development chief for 2nd Air Force, completed Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. A 15-year civil service employee, she's worked at the air force’s headquarters for 10 years.

SOS is a five-week program offering selected civilians in general schedule grades 9 to 12 an opportunity to learn the total Air Force, including the roles of their military counterparts.

The curriculum includes officership application, leadership tools and air and space power through readings, lectures, seminars and field exercises that support each other to provide in-depth coverage.

Physical fitness training and team-building sports activities are integral components of the SOS curriculum. Civilian students are expected to be in peak condition and able to do 3-mile runs and the sit-ups and push-ups required for military members.

Ms. Dunaway pursued a year-long training program to meet the demanding physical challenges.

"I've always exercised on a regular basis, but I had never done a 3-mile run in my life," she said.

"Troy State University applied the three credit hours obtained from SOS toward my master's degree," she said.

Since she came to Keesler 13 years ago, she also earned her associate degree from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and her bachelor's degree from Faulkner University.

Ms. Dunaway also attended many other courses. 

"The Air Force has been absolutely wonderful in allowing me the opportunity to obtain training and education at military schools," Ms. Dunaway said. "The Air Force financed these endeavors and awarded me college credit through the Community College of the Air Force.” 

Civilians cannot get a CCAF degree. But they may apply CCAF credits toward degrees at other colleges.

By taking advantage of educational opportunities, she advanced from basic military training classification specialist to nonprior service reclassification and accessions specialist. Then she became a technical training course program manager at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. And after being the chief of distributed learning, she moved into her current position.

As the acting faculty development chief since July, Ms. Dunaway has been detailed into a position three grades higher than her current grade.

“Even though civilian personnel rules prevent me from being paid at the higher level, I should still benefit from this assignment as it documents my experience," she said. "My education has broadened my career opportunities as I'm now educationally qualified to hold professional series positions."

The six and one-half week Air and Space Basic Course at Maxwell gives selected civilian interns and newly commissioned officers a common understanding of air and space power, history, doctrine, operations, joint war fighting and core values.

Palace Acquire interns, Copper Cap interns in their second or third year of training and base-level interns with at least six months of service are eligible to attend.

Physical conditioning is an integral part of the ASBC curriculum, too. Students do 3-mile runs, crunches, pushups, run an obstacle course and participate in physical readiness training.

Interested civilians should discuss possible nomination for in-residence attendance to PME with their supervisor.

"In early April, the Air Force Personnel Center sends out the SOS and ASBC nominations call via e-mail," said Patti Holliman, human resources specialist for the 81st Mission Support Squadron's employee management services element. "We send out a memorandum to all training monitors and each group's command section. Nominees learn if they've been selected in September."

Becky Green, education services flight chief, said the education office is the point of contact for employees unable to participate in nonresident PME who are interested in seminars or correspondence courses.

For resident PME details, visit www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/cp/DPKD/guide/sec-3.htm.

For nonresident PME details, visit www.maxwell.af.mil/au/afiadl/main.htm and click on "catalogs."