MAXWELL AFB, Ala. -- Retired Brig. Gen. Gunther Mueller; Lt. Col. Steven Combs, executive assistant with Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve; Lt. Col. Mark Holmes, vice commander of the Career Development Academy at Maxwell; and Maj. Wilfredo Ruiz, director of operations for 437th TRS Inter-American Air Forces Academy, formed a board in support of the Air Force Culture and Language Center’s Language Enabled Airmen Program this spring.
This board convened April 14 to designate 10 of the best Spanish-speaking LEAP captain and technical sergeant applicants to attend the Inter-American Squadron Officer School and Inter-America Noncommissioned Officer Academy in Bogota, Colombia.
In each location, these select participants will be afforded the opportunity to hone their language proficiency and cultural skills through interacting with military officers and NCOs from Latin America, while also receiving professional military education
The chosen officers and NCOs represent a bench of participants who had previously been selected into LEAP and provided structured language, regional expertise and culture, or LREC, training as part of the program’s requirements.
ISOS and INCOA curriculum focuses on inter-Americanism, leadership, language, and cultural immersion as Airmen serve as ambassadors and gain tools for future engagements.
“Utilizing LEAP Airmen to fill these positions is a benefit for everyone involved,” said Ruiz, “This program enhances the proficiency and credibility of the AFCLC, Air University, and the Air Force mission.”
The rigor of LEAP is designed to increase competence in LREC skills before sending Airmen to international programs such as ISOS and INCOA, global Language Designated Positions and other language-required missions worldwide. The LEAP training provided to these seven ISOS and three INCOA selectees prepared them with the Spanish language and cultural skills required of this experience.
LEAP supports the Air Force’s global building partnerships mission by ensuring the highest quality of participants come from its enabled bench. This international PME opportunity with host nation counterparts is one of many methods the AFCLC is putting into place to create venues for its LEAP participants to help build these global partnerships.
Holmes remarked, “Choosing our Air Force’s most qualified candidates to represent our nation outside its borders is an extremely important job. I was honored to be asked to help do this.”