RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Stepping away from the flightline and into the classroom, the 86th Maintenance Squadron emphasized the importance of strengthening the force at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Oct. 27.
Through the Airman 4 Life program, Airmen learned that readiness isn’t just about turning wrenches, it's about developing the person behind the uniform.
The program, which began in 2020, started as a grassroots initiative designed to help Airmen develop leadership and life skills they might not otherwise encounter in their daily duties. Now five years later, the program has spread to maintenance squadrons across the Air Force, enabling airmen and supervisors to take time quarterly to grow in different facets of their career and personal lives.
Within five years, the maintenance squadrons have fostered this program to encourage leaders to ‘refuel’ on the important lessons that build their professional and personal lives.
“The intent behind this program is to deliberately carve out time for Airmen to focus on developing individuals," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Bradley McNamara, 86th MXS commander. “We want them to see that the Air Force values Airmen not just the mission they perform, but for who they are as people.”
The first seminar, “How to be a Good Supervisor,” covered principles of accountability, goal-setting using the specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely framework, and Air Force standards. The second seminar focused on developing critical thinking and root cause analysis skills, teaching participants how to identify problems and make effective decisions based on real-world scenarios.
“It’s really tailored to their needs, we pause, take in feedback and build the program around what Airmen want to learn,” said Tech. Sgt. Noland Perine, 86th MXS program manager. “They gain skills that benefit them personally and professionally, which ultimately improves morale and strengthens our wing culture.”
The main takeaway of A4L is providing Airmen the opportunity to share knowledge and learn practical tips and tricks, collaborate training encourages reflection, and assist in identifying ways to become more effective.
“Just learning different ways to analyze problems and ensure you’re a person assisting, creating and facilitating a positive work environment goes a long way,” said Airman 1st Class Antoine Bennett, 86th MXS isochronic inspections crew chief.
During the event, different workshops across the squadron came together to provide diverse perspectives and share best practices, strengthening the Airman core. Additionally, several non-commissioned officers learned how to best support their Airmen building onto their careers, while identifying weaknesses and honing in on strengths.
“I’m looking forward to ensuring our Airmen and NCOs are equipped with problem-solving and critical thinking skills that will go a long way in our everyday mission,” Noland said. “When we have courses like critical thinking and problem solving, we’re giving them tools that aren’t attached to our specialty but help them figure things out and grow as people.”