Canadian becomes first international student at First Sergeant Academy

It’s not hard to spot Warrant Officer Jay McLaren in his uniform among his American classmates. Today, Warrant Officer McLaren became the first Canadian to graduate from the U.S. Air Force First Sergeants Academy at Gunter. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jamie Pitcher)

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Canadian becomes first international student at First Sergeant Academy

Published April 22, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Brannen Parrish
Air University Public Affairs

GUNTER AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- When Warrant Officer Jay McLaren of the Canadian Forces graduates from the Air Force First Sergeant Academy today, he will become the first member from his country's military to complete the program and the first international student to attend the course.

Warrant Officer McLaren, a surveillance flight chief with the Canadian component of the 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is one of 43 Canadian forces members embedded with the unit.

With nearly 100 Air Force airmen working under his charge, Warrant Officer McLaren, who is equivalent in rank to an Air Force master sergeant, deals with the same types of issues encountered by his Air Force counterparts. Warrant Officer McLaren experienced those issues first hand when a member had a family emergency.

"I had an airman who had an issue with his nine month old son and I was asking myself, 'How do I support him and send him to the right place?' I hadn't worked in that environment in the past. There is a need for an overall education about policies and procedures because the flight chief has a direct effect on airmen," said Warrant Officer McLaren.

Military supervisors deal with universal issues but the processes and procedures are the greatest differentiators. Knowing those procedures is often the key to managing a crisis.

"While Canada has its own personnel support structure, for those of deployed to Tinker, or wherever AWACS happens to be deployed around the world, we are a long way from home," said Lt. Col. Henrik Smith, commander of the Canadian component at Tinker AFB. "When we have a crisis we often need to access resources immediately. The knowledge and network Warrant Officer McLaren is developing will be a tremendous asset to me in those first 24 hours until I can get Canadian resources flowing."

"Adding an international student to the mix enhances our curriculum," said Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Bragg, an instructor at the FSA. "When first sergeants leave here they work with all coalition forces, and the Canadian forces have been with us from the beginning in Afghanistan. We gain an insight into how other Coalition forces deal with their airmen."

Although Warrant Officer McLaren says he didn't have any negative expectations prior to beginning the course, he never expected how well he would be received by his classmates and instructors.

"I've been totally astounded at how well I've been treated by my peers and instructors. I have about 15 or 16 years left in my military career, and I can say without a doubt that my experience here at the First Sergeant Academy will be a highlight," he said.

The skills and knowledge Warrant Officer McLaren gained from the course will be beneficial to him long after his assignment at Tinker is completed. He says there is a 90 percent chance he will work with U.S. airmen in his next assignment. In addition to the information he learned in the course, Warrant Officer McLaren said he now has a worldwide network to reach out to for advice.

"I'm not limited to my squadron, wing or even my continent," he said. "I now have a network of students and instructors to go to for advice."