How can the AF improve preparing SrA for the NCO tier?

2015-11-07T12:01:18-05:00

Since 2003 when promotion rates increased dramatically, SrA began to be pipelined through Airman Leadership School and instantly began taking on new responsibilities over night. How might in your opinion can the AF improve the preparation of SrA to the NCO tier. I was fortunate that I attended ALS as an Airman without a line for SSgt, but others are not as fortunate and are transformed literally over months without allot of working experience of the responsibility they now have. Would adding Buck Sergeant back help? Looking for mostly positive feed back on how the transition could be improved for future generations.

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Nov 7 at 2015 12:44 PM

2015-11-07T12:44:57-05:00

The first thing the Air Force must do is give the young men and women the opportunity to learn from experience leaders and give them the room to lead and make mistakes so that they can learn from them.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 7 at 2015 12:49 PM

2015-11-07T12:49:24-05:00

I don't know that a systemic change would be the answer. IMO it would take a cultural change in the current NCO/SNCO corps to really effect what you're suggesting. The answer is in your question. "transformed literally over months without allot of working experience of the responsibility they now have". So give them that ecperience! The cultural change I think would have the most effect is NCOs and SNCOs not being afraid to answer for their subordinates' (inevitable) failures in the name of mentoring and preparing those Senior Airmen to be NCOs. Put them in charge of a project. Put them in charge of younger Airmen. Expect them to fail. They will. Then make them fix it and make sure they learn from it. The benefit is threefold. They learn how not to make that mistake when it counts, how to anticipate younger Airmen making the same mistake and head it off, and how to fix that mistake when it happens again. Right now there's a general sense from junior enlisted that their enlisted leaders will throw them under the bus for making a mistake. And it's not unfounded. It's our job as NCOs to step up and take care of our people, and as a whole we haven't been doing a great job at it.

Response by MSgt John Carroll made Nov 7 at 2015 1:57 PM

2015-11-07T13:57:21-05:00

Actually 2000 (50.7%) was the first year of the "Great Staff Giveaway". I know this because I missed it by 10 points. Ironically, I missed it by 10 points in 1999 (36.39%) also. The rates used to hover around 17%. In fact my very first year testing (1995), if I would have scored 100 on both tests, I wold have missed it by 13 points. Back then the average TIS to make SSgt was 7.5 years. When I finally made it (2001, 8.5 yrs) I was ready for SSgt. I was well seasoned because I had seen a lot of dumb shit and I had done a lot of dumb shit. The best thing the AF can do for these young Airmen is slow down the promotion rates and fix the promotion system. It starts with the EPR. Remove the points from WAPS and you will see accurate ratings.

The new system with quotas and DSD will destroy morale. Lets say SrA Snuffy is hot shit, is deserving of a 5, and gets it. Only the best of the best are supposed to get DSD'd. Now lets say he gets DSD'd to become an instructor. Lets say he is still a good instructor but doesn't make the cut on quotas for a 5 EPR. He now has a disadvantage compared to the guys that weren't DSD'd.

Response by MSgt Curtis Ellis made Nov 7 at 2015 2:56 PM

2015-11-07T14:56:07-05:00

Bring back the rank of Sgt. to indicate and give them a better visible transition to the NCO Corps.

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 10 at 2015 6:49 AM

2015-11-10T06:49:04-05:00

I think bringing back sergeant as a rank would help give us that experience. Transitioning from SrA to SSgt at the moment is very abrupt, because we're not really given legitimate situations that can prepare us for the NCO responsibilities. Leading groups and volunteer activities, etc. help with leadership, but not with fully experiencing the responsibility. I've done many things in leadership roles, and yet I still feel sort of unprepared to take on the role of SSgt. Not that I don't think I can handle it. I just think it's a different situation than minor leadership roles. If not making the rank of sergeant, at least allowing promising SrA one subordinate to prepare, as a possibility. It's not too much to handle, but gives enough experience to know what one is getting into.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 10 at 2015 10:10 AM

2015-11-10T10:10:34-05:00

Never saw ALS as something that helped me become an NCO. With higher promotion rates SSgt is the new SrA in most careers. The idea of a buck sgt is a SrA with added responsibility that can supervise a section... Hmmmm sounds like a SSgt to me.

As to better prepare them for added responsibility, ALS is not the answer. Good supervision and OJT is one part... Mentoring from senior leadership to provide leadership examples is the other. Hard to lead when you suck at your job, but you can't lead even if you rock at your job but have no leadership ability. Once again ALS for a month does no develop that... Honestly most the time leadership is developed within a person not trained.

Response by SMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 11 at 2015 1:47 AM

2015-11-11T01:47:20-05:00

When the AF increased promotion rates and that in turn lowered TIS for upcoming Airmen , purposely or not, we simply changed our promotion system to match the other branches of the military. I have worked extensively with great Army and Navy leaders and a little with great leaders from the Marines. They have all been promoted to assume NCO responsibilities at the same rate as our current Airmen. There is no need to go back to slow rolling everyone's career.

Many times we as leaders fail to empower our subordinates because we believe our subordinates are too young and can't handle the responsibility. In my experience when leadership teams put aside their own fears and empower SSgt's or even SrA in charge of a project they get one of three responses. An outstanding product because this NCO understands leadership and is proficient in their job. Frustration because the NCO doesn't even know the basics of their job and in turn can't lead. Lastly someone that lacks the qualities it takes to be a good leader and has not been held responsible so they do nothing (very rare). These three responses will always remain it is how we perceive them and handle them as a leader that needs to change.

Example number one great job NCO! Leadership will continue to challenge and develop you so you can take over our job one day. Example number two provide additional direction and education on the skills needed to accomplish the task. Provide counseling on where their development as a leader should be. Let them know leadership will be watching their development and if needed we will provide additional corrective counseling and/or action if the situation requires. Example number three spend some time figuring out why they no longer care and try to develop a plan to re-motivate them. Remind them that they have an obligation to perform that includes consequences for their actions if they continue their substandard behavior. Follow up with action as necessary. Most importantly if either of the two unsuccessful Airmen begin to make strides in the right direction provide positive reinforcement as they move closer to the response of the first NCO. In my opinion it takes a team of leaders not just one!

The change in our promotion system and the new EPR are an attempt to allow NCO's and SNCO's the ability to use the tools they were given without overly impacting the career of those Airman that are held accountable but still deserve a shot. Lets face it, what we have been doing is broken so why is everyone so skeptical about a new system. Accept and adapt to the new culture where it is set up for you to be able to recover from a misstep much easier and will not take a career of "firewall 5's" to get promoted. If we promote 22% and only 5% are getting 5 EPR's doesn't that mean that people that are getting 4's and possibly 3's on their EPRs will get promoted.

Our leadership has given us the opportunity to start the cultural change that is needed to develop these 4 year SSgt's into leaders. It is our responsibility to swallow our pride and accept the fact that we are not all firewall 5's year in and year out. Before anyone asks yes I have received 5's on all my EPR's and no I didn't deserve them all just like many others. And just like many others (myself included) my supervisors saw something in me and didn't want our old system to cripple my chances so they made a conscience decision to inflate the system. Finally we have a system where we can give an Airman that had a few missteps a 3 or a 4 on their EPR and it will only take 1 or 2 years instead of the 4 or 5 years it took their predecessors to overcome. We have a chance to change that mentality but the longer we hold to our past culture and go around telling the younger Airmen that only 5's get promoted the less likely we are to influence that change, and the less likely we are to be effective at building leaders.

It takes time and dedication by a team of NCO's and SNCO's to build the next generation of leaders. Just my opinion.

Response by SrA David Steyer made Nov 12 at 2015 10:58 PM

2015-11-12T22:58:25-05:00

I felt like a lot of what I learned at ALS could have been taught much sooner. Seriously - with the new Capstone, what's the point of FTAC where you have the briefings? There was very little "inprocessing" which is the point of FTAC. I was at my base for almost two months by time I went to FTAC. Some of the stuff I learned in ALS could have been taught then.

Now, I attended with no line number, but then again I hit HYT as a SrA a year later. I'm not going to beat myself up over it, but it was what it was. Could I have done more? Sure, but no regrets.

Anyway, How about adding more ALS classes and/or expanding class sizes? Some bases push people through with no line number, and others wait unt il you have one, or a month before you put on. I think having ALS sooner, at a set period, like 1 year TiG as a SrA would be a great idea. That way if they are a slow burner, they get experience as SrA to be supervisors. Some AFSC's are NCO top heavy it will be very rare in most cases to supervise as a SrA with ALS, but I am sure something can be worked out.