Forging professional Airmen is AETC's new directorate's goal

Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

11/21/2014 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas  -- A new Air Force office dedicated to more effectively developing professionalism in Airmen, at the request of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, was established at JBSA-Randolph.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A Welsh III and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Cody instituted the new office at Headquarters Air Education and Training Command's A9 directorate.

AETC's A9 office is dedicated to developing Airmen professionalism while increasing public confidence and trust in the Air Force. The A9 director, Col. Jeff Smith, has gone full throttle with its initiatives.

"I'm excited to lead a team of professionals dedicated to building professionalism tools," said Smith. "With these tools, we will develop Airmen to do the right thing, the right way and for the right reason."

Smith said every Airman, whether leaders or those who aspire to lead, are vital to the process of developing Air Force personnel. The service proactively develops each Airman within a professional culture, requiring the highest degree of commitment toward institutional standards and the service's core values of integrity, service before self and excellence.

Since its stand up July 1, A9 has conducted Human Capital Professionalism, an eight-hour symposium, development training for all AETC commanders and senior enlisted, said Jerry Perez, deputy director of studies, analysis and assessments.

"These are great tools for Air Force leaders that support the building blocks of professionalism: character, judgment, and competence; enablers to achieve our core values," said Perez.

Perez said the tools used for the training include ranked-based professional development e-guides with more than 5,000 free, on-line interactive study questions; "Heritage Today" video vignettes linking Air Force history to current real-world Air Force operations; "What Now?" video vignettes focused on ethical training scenarios; and e-trifolds and e-primers, all of which can be downloaded from the A9 website.

Additionally, A9 will train select instructors, "training-the-trainer," to conduct Human Capital Professionalism development symposiums in the future.

"Professionalism is the heart and soul of who we are and who we strive to be every day," said Smith. "It is the pride we feel when we say, 'I am an American Airman.'"