ACSC commandant mentors group commanders Published May 14, 2009 By Carl Bergquist Air University Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Newly appointed group commanders from throughout the Air Force arrived at Ira C. Eaker College for Professional Development last week to attend one of five group commanders' courses. During week one, or "core week," students assembled each day in a single classroom and received some special mentoring from the commandant of Air Command and Staff College. The group commanders' courses for mission support, maintenance, medical, operations and materiel leadership offer courses tailored to providing attendees with current information on Air Force leadership and policy issues, said Col. John McKoy, Commanders' School director. Brig. Gen. JJ Jackson, the week's senior mentor and ACSC commandant, said he attended the Group Commanders' Course in the 1997 and felt mentoring this group of students was "a good way to give back" to the course. He told the group of more than 53 colonels that today's Airmen, many born in the late 1980s and early 1990s, have "a little different view of the world" than those colonels who were born in the 1960s. He said course instructors want group commander students to have the tools they will need because of the challenges they are going to face in their new jobs. "I look at it as being the conductor of an orchestra," he said. "You have to lead your Airmen in what to do, not tell them what to do, and the challenges we talk about in this course will affect every one of you." General Jackson told attendees technology is constantly changing, and there are a lot of different technologies they will have to understand to "stay up" with younger Airmen. He said group commanders must understand the technologies that are there. The general also said in today's world, communication is essential to doing business. All areas of the Air Force are interdependent with other areas of the service, and that requires communication to get the job done. "The people you deal with will want you to lead, and they are going to want to be like you. You have been selectively screened to be here," he said. "Another important part of doing your job will be social skills, as you will frequently interface with local leaders." General Jackson said the bottom line is that commanders have 10 pounds of requirements and five pounds of resources, and they have to be "good stewards" of those resources. He said of every 100 second lieutenants commissioned, only one will be promoted to colonel, and those colonels are the up and coming leadership of the Air Force. "I'm 54 years old, and I'm still learning," he told the students. "My dad once told me that if I didn't learn something every day, I was either comatose or not paying attention." Col. Cliff Stansell, who is assigned to the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and will soon assume the duties of 5th Maintenance Group commander at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., said having a senior mentor the first week of the course was very valuable. "General Jackson was brutally honest about the challenges and experience we will face as commanders: the good, the bad and the ugly. He has been around the Air Force for a while and has that perspective," he said. "For me, having been on the joint staff for three years, this allows me to re-integrate into the real-world Air Force. It is good to have these two weeks to get back into it." Colonel Stansell said he is enjoying the course because of the senior leader perspectives and the opportunity to interact with his peers. He said a key point he will take to his new job is how crucial it is for group commanders at a base to work as a team. "Competition is ok, but you must collaborate to make the mission work," he said. Col. Doug Cato is currently assigned to plans and programs at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., but will soon take the reins of the 76th Maintenance Group at Tinker. He said he found the course to be a good overview and refresher of what he learned during his squadron commander training. He said the course is also adding "some different things" that will be useful as a group commander. "General Jackson's mentoring has been very helpful," he said. "He has a wealth of knowledge to impart to the group about practical experiences. Often people learn better by hearing about the experiences of others than from other ways. The general's story about how he handled a student missing from ACSC is a great example of how we might handle a similar situation, and I will carry that to my new job." Colonel Cato said the information the Deputy Judge Advocate General brought to the class is something that will also "stick in his mind." He said the DJAG gave students valuable information about what to be cautious of while commanding a group. General Jackson said he was in the "winter of his career" and mentoring the group gave him the chance to share his experiences with them. He felt that was "a good thing." He said ECPD has held group commander classes for many years, and he hoped his personal experiences, good and bad, would be useful to the students. On a final note, he told course attendees he welcomed their feedback. "You can also make the Air Force better by letting us hear what you have to say," he said. "We want to make this course relevant for you, so let us know what you think."