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Airman Leadership School Comes To Berry Field

By Darrell Hamm, 118 WG/PA / Published February 08, 2015

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Berry Field Tennessee Air National Guard Base -- Eighteen members of the 118TH Wing Tennessee Air National Guard recently completed Phase one of the satellite airman leadership school (ALS). From Jan. 20 through Jan. 30 2015 the Airmen gathered at the 118th to attend ALS classes via satellite. The course broadcasts through the Air National Guard's Warrior Network Satellite system and originates from McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base in Knoxville, Tennessee where the instructors are located.

ALS is a five-week-long Air Force program designed for airmen to learn front-line supervision. It is the first professional military education (PME) course that enlisted Air Force members take part in. This new method of training is designed to be more cost-effective and convenient for members of the Air National Guard.

Along with satellite learning, five instructors from the local unit were assigned to the class to facilitate activities. Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Rachel Kurilko was one of the facilitators. "The facilitators serve as the link between the students at the unit level and the instructors at the schoolhouse in Knoxville." "About once an hour, [the instructors] would turn to the facilitators for a local discussion on a particular topic." "Each facilitator taught at least one block per day." Kurilko said.

2015 marks the first time this method of instruction was used in the state of Tennessee. The airmen will now continue on to Gulfport, Mississippi for phase two, which lasts two and a half weeks.

Speaking about the satellite program Kurilko said, "Hopefully I can get into a satellite [non-commissioned officer academy] course within the next year or so and experience it myself! The instructors had a blast, and I know the students did as well."
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