Air Force opens 14th NCO academy

  • Published
  • By Carl Bergquist
  • Air University Public Affairs
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFPN) --  With a growing population of technical sergeants in need of professional military education, the Air Force opened a 14th noncommissioned officer academy at Gunter Annex here.

The first class at Gunter NCO Academy is 189 students strong and consists of 14 flights. Class 03-3 began its course of 28 academic days Feb. 18.

Chief Master Sgt. Vickie Helms, commandant, said the purpose of the new academy is to enhance the professional skills of technical sergeants.

"Our motto here at Gunter is 'enhancing professionals and strengthening leaders,'" Helms said. "The new academy is another outstanding institution that validates the significance of professional military education, which brings us the strongest enlisted Air Force in the world."

Gunter Annex was selected for the new school because of its location and available existing facility, said Senior Master Sgt. Beverly Hill, director of resources for the academy.

High promotion rates in recent years drove the need for the new academy.

"The increased promotion rates in the last few years, coupled with the requirement to complete NCO academy before becoming a master sergeant, led to some technical sergeants not receiving the needed professional military education in time," said Hill. "One of the problems noted for that was school capacity -- not enough seats to accommodate everyone."

For fiscal 2003, the Gunter academy will pull students from every stateside base without an academy of its own, she said.

The first of 28 instructors to arrive last year in preparation for the opening said he was thrilled to be a member of the staff.

"I'm extremely honored in becoming a part of enlisted professional military education history," said Tech Sgt. Tony Camara, a primary flight instructor. "The Gunter NCOA will do great things because of the people who work here." Tech. Sgt. Paul Cook, a flight instructor and member of the Air National Guard, said the staff comes from many backgrounds, but they all have one common goal: educating tomorrow's enlisted leaders.

"As the staff molds itself into place, it is easy to see they are definitely the academy's greatest asset," he said. "For many, they are venturing into the world of professional military education instructor duty for the first time."

NCO academies are managed by the College for Enlisted Professional Military Education, an Air University school at Maxwell. The academies teach such subjects as leadership, management, communication skills and profession of arms to prepare technical sergeants for the responsibilities they will face as senior NCOs. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)