MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- In November, the Air Force Culture and Language Center completed its largest and perhaps most ambitious three-day virtual Pre-Acculturation Course for eight Command Chiefs with the 3rd Air Force. The CHIEFPAC covered the history, culture, and strategic issues of Europe, Africa, Russia, Ukraine, the Baltics, the Artic, and other NATO networks. The course was facilitated by AFCLC’s in-house faculty Dr. Scott Edmondson, Dr. Elizabeth Peifer and Dr. Patricia Fogarty.
Not only was this AFCLC’s largest PAC, but it was also the first PAC designed specifically for Command Chiefs. Participants included:
• Chief Master Sgt. Tommy L. Childers, Superintendent for the 86th Civil Engineer Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany
• Chief Master Sgt. Corey J. Crow, Command Chief, 435th Air Ground Operations Wing (U.S. European Command) and the 435th Air Expeditionary Wing (U.S. Africa Command), Ramstein Air Base, Germany
• Chief Master Sgt. Kerry V. Hall, Senior Enlisted Leader of the 39th Weapons System Security Group, Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
• Chief Master Sgt. Derrick L. Harrison, 603rd Air Operations Center Senior Enlisted Leader at Ramstein Air Base, Germany
• Chief Master Sgt. Gene B. Jameson III, Command Chief, 48th Fighter Wing Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England
• Chief Master Sgt. Michael Taylor, Superintendent, 422nd Air Base Group, 501st Combat Support Wing, Royal Air Force Croughton, United Kingdom
• Chief Master Sgt. Jeremy L. Unterseher, Command Chief, 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy
• Chief Master Sgt. Michael J. Venning, Command Chief, 100th Air Refueling Wing, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom
Each PAC is custom designed to meet the educational needs of the participants as they prepare for their operational and staff assignments by providing formal, tailored instruction on the specific culture and region with a focus on partner interoperability and adversary understanding.
“This experience was above and beyond anything I imagined,” Harrison said.
Childers agreed, and added that having a cultural perspective, along with a historical one, helps understand the political issues of the area.
“It truly helps to get a different perspective, not just a military perspective, to open my eyes on everything else that’s going on outside of my base,” he said. “It’s not just about Africa or Europe, but it’s also the context that goes on behind the scenes.”
Taylor likened the course to a master’s-level learning experience condensed into three days.
“I can see this course expanded in the future,” Taylor said. “We had a lot of thought-provoking conversation during the course. This was excellent information that helps explain the context of some of our missions in our respective locations.”