ALS welcomes Marine students

by Naoto Anazawa
18th Wing Public Affairs

1/22/2014 - KADENA AIR BASE,Japan -- U. S. Marine Corps Sgts. Alejandro Aguilar and Steven Kern, assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, attended an Airman Leadership Class as part of a joint professional military education program at the Erwin Professional Military Education Center. This is the second time in Kadena's history that Marines have joined in ALS.

ALS is a five-week long Air Force program designed to develop senior airmen and staff sergeants into effective front-line supervisors and leaders. It is the first military education that enlisted Air Force members encounter. ALS focuses on developing leadership abilities, the profession of arms, and building effective communication.

The joint professional military education brings in Marines and other service members to add depth and experience to the classroom discussions.

"It benefits our Airmen as well as Marines tremendously," said Master Sgt. Mark James, Erwin Airman Leadership School commandant. "In addition, getting a perspective for how their branches lead, develop, train, and educate their personnel is beneficial to the Airmen."

The course is the Air Force equivalent to the Marine Corps' Corporals Course and Sergeant Course, according to James.

"I like it; it's different from a Marine Corps course, so it's very interesting to see the differences between Marines and sister services," said Sgt. Alejandro Aguilar, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma 4th Platoon maintenance chief. "It's definitely a good experience to find out the end state is the same but there are two separate ways to achieve it."

The students learn combat leadership skills, military professionalism, public speaking techniques, and ways to lead by example, while PME for Marines typically forces on leadership for combat situations.

"It's given us a lot of insight on the way they lead and the way they conduct themselves," said Senior Airman Jacob Krause, 18th Equipment Maintenance Squadron crew chief. "We have been showing them the way we do things as well."

The program enables the Airmen along with their sister services to work together improving the interoperability between both forces and readiness for future engagements.

"Overall, both Airmen and sister service students benefit from sharing methods, procedures, and doctrine so that when we deploy to fight America's wars, we are better equipped to do so," said James. "About one fourth of our curriculums involve joint (sister service) discussion and it helps to get insight from those other branches of service to aid in our Airmen's understanding."