Developing the Next Generation of Air Force Leaders Published April 2, 2025 By 1st Lt. Colby Brown 14th Flying Training Wing COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Newly assigned junior lieutenants to the 14th Flying Training Wing, recently attended the latest iteration of the Officer Development Course, with a record-breaking 63 attendees. The ODC is a two-day professional development course designed to enhance leadership concepts and principles in new officers. “If you take care of your people, the rest will take care of itself,” said Col. Nicholas Lofthouse, 14th Flying Training Wing Operations Group commander. “Demonstrating genuine care builds trust across your team faster than any other behavior, and you can’t have a high-performance organization that is not also a high-trust organization.” ODC attendees received perspectives and lessons from leaders at all levels, from the wing commander to flight commanders. They also had the opportunity to engage in Q&A panels with senior noncommissioned officers and company grade officers. “Being at a pilot training base, our attention and focus tends to be on developing aviation skills and preparing the next generation of Air Force pilots,” said Lofthouse. “But for all our new officers here, whether they are in pilot training or not, I need them to understand that they are officers and leaders first and foremost, which comes with responsibilities. We are not just making world class pilots; we are making leaders and warriors in the profession of arms.” ODC presenters provided mentorship, exposing the new officers to real-world leadership challenges they encountered during their careers. The course also covered life-balance skills including financial management, Air Force systems and career progression. “CAFB is a developmental campus with a singular mission of Training World Class Pilots,” said Maj. Daniel Hubbard, 14th Healthcare Operations Squadron Family Health flight commander. “Student pilots face expectations in two distinct but complementary roles, and we want to ensure that officership is given the intentional instruction that the students deserve.” In addition to bringing a broad perspective of speakers, the team also revamped the course schedule to reduce the impact on day-to-day operations. “We changed the battle rhythm from eight to ten classes a year to once a quarter in an effort to create more predictability for commanders and to reduce the number of times that we asked the various mentor groups to step out of their daily mission sets,” said Hubbard. Hubbard emphasized the importance of understanding the dual role of officer development during the early stages of their careers. “While the course covers a variety of topics, the overarching goal is to present first-assignment lieutenants with the somewhat overwhelming standard that, as officers, they have an obligation to embody character and leadership for the rest of the Air Force,” said Hubbard. The program offers an opportunity for new officers to build their professional network with other students, as well as mentorship opportunities with officers and noncommissioned officers from different career fields and levels of rank. "I truly appreciated the diverse perspectives shared by the speakers, which provided valuable insight into the complex nature of the Air Force and how young officers should conduct themselves in operational settings," said 2nd Lt. Caiden Macktinger, an ODC graduate. "Maj. Hubbard did a phenomenal job facilitating the program, delivering the content in a clear and engaging manner that resonated with the attendees. The Senior Enlisted Q&A panel was particularly impactful, as their extensive operational experiences offered a comprehensive view of the roles and responsibilities of new officers in the Air Force." Student pilots learn the basics of flight at CAFB, and their experience directly translates to leadership development as junior officers preparing for advanced flight operations. “Developing world class pilots is not just a matter of stick-and-rudder skills or even cognitive speed,” said Lofthouse. “Whether on a crewed aircraft; leading a formation of fighters; running a medical clinic; or civil engineer flight, we need leaders who build trust across their organization, communicate clearly and effectively, solve problems at their level and beyond, and can understand how their mission fits into the larger context. All of this requires deliberate development, and it starts here at Columbus for these new officers.”