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Air Force professionalism course gets Airmen thinking about values

  • Published
  • By Christa D’Andrea
  • Profession of Arms Center of Excellence
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO RANDOLPH, TEXAS --  More than 60,000 Total Force Airmen and civilians have attended the Profession of Arms Center of Excellence’s Enhancing Human Capital course, lending to the further development and growth of the force.

The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Fighter Wing recently had PACE deliver the EHC course to more than 500 personnel.

The EHC is PACE’s core curriculum that supports its mission to forge professional Airmen who embody the core values of Integrity, Service and Excellence. Enhancing Human Capital focuses on self-reflection as a means to better understand how Airmen can become better friends, parents, spouses, co-workers and leaders
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Col. Joseph Rizzuto, PACE director, presented EHC to the fighter wing and emphasized that “Leadership starts with an understanding of self.”

Lt. Col. Todd Hofford, 142nd FW Maintenance Squadron commander, stated the presentation resonated with his Airmen and that all Airmen should participate in the 5-hour course.

The course is designed to be an inspiring, optimistic and enjoyable opportunity for attendees to focus on bettering themselves and ultimately enhance their daily relationships at work and home.

“As a fighter pilot, we tend to train to a culture of overlooking the good and focusing on the 1 percent bad, to perfect our capabilities,” Hofford said. “Colonel Rizzuto did a good job convincing me of the importance of the inverse.”

“Don’t forget about the 1 percent, and debrief properly, but forever acknowledge the great,” he added.
Throughout the presentation, Rizzuto introduced the 142nd FW to the art of leading oneself.

“You start with professionalism and lead yourself in a manner that is characterized by commitment, loyalty and trust – connecting core values to mission,” he said.

Commitment, loyalty and trust are the foundational principles that frame professionalism according to the PACE Strategic Roadmap.

“PACE is about influencing culture and applying tools into this culture to ultimately change someone’s identity,” Rizzuto added. “We want their [Airmen] values to be our values so their behaviors align with the core values of the Air Force.”

Capt. Amy Newkirk, 142nd FW Maintenance Operations Officer, said the course was thought-provoking and enjoyable. She walked away with a new awareness of how leaders need to keep their eyes open to the possible gap between intentions and behavior and that sometimes you need to challenge your own “green blocks.”

Green blocks is one of the thoughts presented during the course to get participants to look beyond their personal bias.

“Sometimes we create our own barriers based on what we’ve constructed over time in our minds,” she said. “Challenging that structure can expand opportunities and possibilities, and even relieve self-imposed stressors.”

PACE presents EHC, on average, 25 times per month to more than 5,000 personnel, including some non-Department of Defense groups. In addition to EHC, PACE has a host of tools, or PACEsetters, to help develop individuals on all aspects of professionalism – from team-building and mentoring, to leadership and empowerment.

Hofford shared that one of the tools he has adopted in his squadron is to text or call everyone on their birthday.

“At the beginning of the month, I print out a roster with everyone’s birthday in the squadron for the month. At the beginning of every day, I take 30 seconds and look up their cells on the recall roster and send them a text or give them a call,” he described. “I have been given some great feedback that they really love this small gesture.”

Hofford carried on this gesture after he was the recipient of such a call on his birthday. He added that “such a small gesture goes a very long way in my relationship with each of my Airmen.”

Col. Christopher Lantagne, 142nd Maintenance Group commander, uses a tool similar to the “Walk with Me” PACEsetter. He calls it “Eat with Me” and says it’s a great way to relax and get to know your Airmen in a non-intimidating way. Another he recently started is called “Choose Happy.”

“We start the day with a production meeting and at the start of that I ask someone to share a story of why today they are choosing to be happy or thankful for something in their lives,” the colonel added. “It’s a great way to start the day.”

Lantagne said his group isn’t the trendsetter out there for using some of these tools but his leaders “sure do care about our Airmen.”

Fostering better, appropriate and professional relationships will increase a stronger sense of commitment, loyalty and trust according to Rizzuto, who summarizes the EHC course as “how to be better with people by understanding and leading yourself.”

For more information about available PACE professionalism tools, go to www.airman.af.mil.