Air Force launches fellowship program Published Oct. 21, 2003 By Staff Sgt. Melanie Streeter Air Force Print News WASHINGTON -- The Air Force is teaming up with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as part of the Air Force National Laboratory Technical Fellowship Program.Brig. Gen. Robert L. Smolen will sign a memorandum of understanding between the two agencies Oct. 30 in Livermore, Calif. He is the director of nuclear and counterproliferation in the deputy chief of staff’s office for air and space operations. “The Air Force always needs more people with technical backgrounds in specific areas of high demand, such as engineering, chemistry and especially nuclear,” Smolen said. “At the same time, we’re trying to preserve a nuclear force that is getting older, so the challenge is to have enough people with quality credentials who understand how to maintain it.”Maintaining the current system is not the only challenge the Air Force faces, according to the general.“We’ve also recently coupled that with a broader emphasis on the counter-chemical, -biological, -nuclear and -radiological aspects of warfighting,” Smolen said. “So, after looking around, we also found that we’re woefully short of people with the technical expertise to address some of the issues associated with those aspects as well.”The fellowship at Livermore is an option for majors and lieutenant colonels selected as intermediate and senior developmental education candidates. For now, one candidate each year will be selected for the 21-month program. At the conclusion of the fellowship, the candidate will earn a master’s degree from the University of California at Davis, as well as fulfill the in-residence requirement for their professional military education. Officers selected for the fellowship will complete Air Command and Staff College or Air War College by correspondence or seminar to earn joint credit. The fellowship program will also be expanded to include Air Force civilian employees.Upon completion of the fellowship, officers return to their career field and are assigned positions where experts in the field are needed. These positions range from the Pentagon, to Air Combat Command, Air Mobility Command, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Pacific Air Forces, Smolen said.“These are the folks who will form the core of the science we want to advance, as well as maintain the existing structure,” he said.Smolen said he hopes to increase the number of fellowships at Livermore and in other laboratories nationwide where the fellowship program already exists.He said he is also working to establish relationships with Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, for up to 10 slots per year.The fellowship programs benefit both the laboratories and the Air Force, Smolen said.“We get the Air Force member to find out what’s technologically cutting edge that the labs are working on,” he said. “And, perhaps most importantly, we build a base of people who will ultimately end up general officers who are familiar with the science and technology our nation is producing.”