Force development or assisted development – which is it? Published April 18, 2013 By Lt. Col. Erin M. Manning 94th Mission Support Group deputy commander DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- The premise of force development is that the leaders of tomorrow must be deliberately developed in their careers. Young Airmen need to be assisted in becoming the amazing senior non-commissioned officers and general officers needed in the reserves. They must become strategic thinking power-houses, sitting next to active duty equivalents and supporting the mission as total force integrators. There are great buzz words for force development within the newly coordinated Air Force Reserve Instructions (AFR-Is) addressing this topic. Acronyms such as DTs (Development Teams), R-ODP (Reserve Officer Development Plans), R-EDP (Reserve Enlisted Development Plans) and KPL (Key Personnel Lists) have been instituted. How do we build leaders and thinkers at base level, and what do we do for young Airmen to help them see their future in the Air Force? We must remember what our rank means. It isn't just a pay check. It is a requirement to push Airmen to the next step, get them back on their feet when they stumble, move the deserving ones to the next level, even if it creates a gap in your organization and pay more attention to the ones that may need more work, even if it requires extra time. What can you do to make your Airmen better? There are resources available to you to evaluate their military bearing, such as Air Force Specialty Code skill level training, and the feedback and Enlisted/Office Performance Report system. The question is, will you have the bearing yourself to implement the asset and judge the Airman fairly? Some of you may not have been taught this leadership method. You may think it's easier not to be direct, or not write what needs to be written. You may not want to make waves in the unit. As a supervising NCO, SNCO or officer, you cannot afford that to happen! If that's you, find a mentor yourself to help make you smarter and stronger, or decided if the Air Force is a right fit for you. You must build from the bottom. Strong units practically run themselves at the lowest level. No longer are the times when Airmen get stripes just because someone has left the slot. We must only take the best ones to the next level, open the slot to recruiters if there isn't a promotable person in-house, or leave it open for subordinates to compete for it. There is no room for the "just because they were the only one standing" attitude. Airman can only develop, if we assist and lead, so let's build some future command chiefs and general officers. Be a force developer and build the force one troop at a time, right in your own back yard!
