JBER Airmen attend professional development seminar

by Airman Valerie Monroy
JBER Public Affairs

9/1/2015 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The Total Force Development Council and the Arctic Warrior Rising 5/6 hosted a "Take Charge of Your Career" Professional Development Seminar for all senior Airmen and below who have not yet gone through Airman Leadership School at the Elmendorf Professional Military Education Center Aug. 18.

The event was a chance for Airmen to receive career advice and learn new skills.

More than 120 Airmen attended classes on bullet writing, below-the-zone and board preparation, feedback maximization, fundamentals of followership, overcoming obstacles and more.

"Events like the 'Take Charge of Your Career' seminar are important to bridge the gap between the time an Airmen attends the First Term Airman Center program and the time that he or she goes to ALS," said Tech. Sgt. Callie Lewis, 673rd Air Base Wing PME instructor. "It is imperative that Airmen learn early on that they have to be proactive and take initiative in every aspect of their lives and careers in order to reach their full potential."

Among the guest speakers was Chief Master Sgt. Michael Burton, 3rd Maintenance Group superintendent, who spoke to the Airmen about being 100 percent invested in what they're doing.

Burton grew up on a farm baling hay and cutting tobacco. He explained how his former farm life prepared him for doing his job in the Air Force. It gave him the mindset to always work hard and do his best.

"Nobody else is going to be doing your job except for you," said Burton. "We all have the responsibility to do our best. We are the Air Force."

Along with motivating Airmen in their career, Burton encouraged everyone to continue their education by sharing his sharing his experiences with getting his Community College of the Air Force degree when there weren't as many benefits for military members as there are now.

"Use your education, use your benefits wisely," said Burton. "Benefit yourself and benefit the Air Force."

For Senior Airman Lauren Mainolfi, 673rd Aerospace Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental engineering technician, this seminar was an opportunity to receive vital new information and to meet new people.

"The more information we get exposed to the better," said Mainolfi. "I learned about groups I didn't know existed and got a chance to network."

Mainolfi said one of the things she was most happy about seeing was the variety of perspectives from all the guest speakers. She said she would really appreciate events like this to happen again.

Lewis said many Airmen were crying out for an opportunity to learn all this beneficial information.

"From the overwhelming positive feedback we received, the event was a huge success," Lewis said.