DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- “At the end of the day, you have to know your people,” said Staff Sgt. Chante Foster, 94th Maintenance Group commander’s support staff assistant, as she recalled the most important piece of information after completing the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge Leadership Development Course, here, Aug. 7th.
“NCOLDC is a hands-on in-residence course that was developed to give Airmen hands-on practice and a deeper understanding of professional military education,” said Master Sgt. DeRamus Taylor, 94th Maintenance Group operations flight superintendent and NCOLDC course facilitator.
Students began the week-long course by taking a personality test and splitting into groups based on results.
“It was interesting to see how groups answered based on personality,” said Foster. “It immediately opened dialogue for reflection-based questions. Personally, I found out I was assertive, and that’s ok, there’s a way to go about it professionally. I also learned that I have to be comfortable and confident in myself.”
The class also covered topics such as the Airman Comprehensive Assessment, leadership styles, awards and decorations, discipline, and a variety of other practical scenarios.
“During the course, students dealt with real-world scenarios that gave them the opportunity to discuss, connect one lesson to another, and develop through experience and discussion,” said Taylor. “They didn’t just have to read from a book but got to act out how to actually be a staff or technical sergeant with one another.”
After graduating, Foster had the opportunity to employ some of what she learned from the course with her Airmen during the Dobbins ARB Unit Training Assembly the following two days.
“This UTA was like a fresh start, because I went into it with new skills and information,” said Foster. “We did some team building, calisthenics, and participated in an activity that had a little bit of competition, followed by some discussions and other morale-boosters. My Airmen said this was the best UTA they’ve had. This was the first time I’ve had my Airmen open up more and be more transparent.”
NCOLDC encouraged the students to try different techniques, ways to go about doing things, talking to others, and interacting with others, according to Foster.
“A lot of students came in with their own expectations,” said Taylor. “Some people came in with the ‘I don’t know why I’m here’ attitude, while others seemed to have come just to check a box, so it was great to see that ‘AHA!’ moment of realization for them, that they can make a difference in the Air Force. This is a course that I would highly encourage supervisors to send their staff and technical sergeants to, to invest in them.”