PME: Does it ever end? Published Oct. 15, 2012 By Col. Augusto Casado 94th Maintenance Group commander DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- After being assigned to write a commentary for this month's issue Falcon Flyer, my first thought was, "Oh no! I cannot add another thing to my plate." I'm active in the Boys Scouts and Civil Air Patrol. I have two teenage boys, church, sports and home life. Like many of you, I also work on professional military education. My course is the Advanced Joint Professional Military Education, and for me, AJPME is tougher than war college. So, to my question, PME: does it ever end? Sure it does, but it's up to you and what you want to do with your career and your life. What does PME really do for you? The obvious responses are: it's mandatory, you need it for promotions, you need it for career progression, my leadership is making me take it, etc. But there is so much more to PME. PME instills professionalism and competence. Competence provides a foundation for trust and credibility that is essential to success. PME provides the knowledge, skills and abilities that will prove invaluable throughout your career. Things learned through PME will also cross over into your civilian professions. PME is a distinguisher, a filter if you will, that sets you apart from those who have not tackled the challenge. PME provides the foundation and tools necessary to assist you in your growth and development. It helps you help others. Also, completing PME demonstrates your commitment, dedication and motivation to prospective employers and selection boards. After all, we all know how hard it is to be self-motivated and successful in a distance learning self-paced environment. Leaders -- and believe me, we are all leaders, no matter what rank you may have -- are always influencing someone else. Leaders set the example and the tone for the organization. If you don't take your personal development seriously and strive to improve your knowledge, skills and abilities, how can you coach and mentor others to achieve their full potential? Hopefully by now I have convinced you to go sign up for your next level of PME, but I would be remiss if I didn't add some words of caution. Before you take the step, examine your life balance. Make sure you save some time for yourself and your family. This can be hard for those of us who are "Type A: take-the-hill personalities." It's okay to stretch and challenge yourself, but don't set false expectations or life-impacting constraints that hurt those you love. I've been writing a lot about what's in it for you and for those you lead or influence, but the bottom line is this: the U.S. Air Force and the citizens of our great nation expect the best out of you and me. We must all be better Airmen and warriors, especially during this critical time in history. Our nation deserves nothing less.
