Military Leadership Training to be Reinforced for Ranking Non-Commissioned Officers, Targeting Strategic Implications from China
Hey there! The Air Force is taking a break from the Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course (CMSLC) at Maxwell Air Force Base for a spiffy revamp of the curriculum, focusing on the leadership skills needed in our modern world filled with great power competition.
The facelift aims to better prepare our top-ranking enlisted Airmen for an era when they're called to lead during an intense tussle with countries like China and Russia. So, think of it as investing in some serious, kick-ass leadership training tailored for today's geopolitical landscape!
Col. Damian Schlussel, the commander of the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, puts it this way: "We aim to offer a more in-depth, rigorous learning experience than what our current course provides."
Over an extended two-week stint, students get ready to take on the big leagues as they ascend to their first roles as chief master sergeants, responsible for advising their unit's top officer and ensuring the welfare of their troops. The program is primarily designed for squadron-level chiefs and is mandatory for Airmen aiming for promotion to the E-9 rank within the next two years.
After the final class of fiscal 2024 waves their diplomas on September 27, the CMSLC will take a well-deserved break for around nine months, during which shopping experts from across the military will design a brand-new course for introduction in 2025.
Key topics they hope to dive deeper into include operational teaming with partners, mission command, and joint warfighting, all of which are vital for the modern battlefield.
The Barnes Center folks are all about providing Airmen with the best leadership education possible, particularly during these crucial times. As for those who had planned to attend the course in fiscal 2025, don't worry—you'll be rescheduled once the program kicks off again!
In the meantime, Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base will continue offering other professional development courses to keep Airmen on their A-game.
Recent years have seen the Air Force revamping enlisted Professional Military Education (PME), part of a broader movement to nurture well-rounded Airmen who are equally sound in emotional intelligence and technical skills. The hope is to deliver lessons that reinforce ethical standards while keeping them relevant to the challenges that supervisors face today.
- The revamped Chief Master Sergeant Leadership Course (CMSLC) at Maxwell Air Force Base, after its break, will be led at the Pentagon and expand its focus to include leadership skills useful in space and military finance, along with the traditional geopolitical considerations.
- As part of the revamp, the military leadership curriculum will collaborate with business leaders to incorporate innovative strategies and foster a more adaptive leadership style to address the complexities of modern warfare.
- Following the overhaul, senior leaders within the Air Force anticipate that the CMSLC will serve as a model for other military institutions overseeing Professional Military Education (PME), paving the way for a new era of well-rounded, forward-thinking military leaders.
