War Department Celebrates 20 Years of STARBASE Arizona War Department Celebrates 20 Years of STARBASE Arizona

Jan. 8, 2026 | By Air Force Senior Airman William Finn, 355th Wing |

STARBASE Arizona, a War Department educational program, celebrated 20 years of STEAM education outreach at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, Jan. 7, recognizing two decades of service connecting students with science, technology, engineering, arts and math programs.

"Today is a huge milestone for our program," said Kristine Impellizzeri, director, STARBASE Arizona. "Twenty years that Davis-Monthan has allowed this program to have a home, and we are so appreciative of that." 

Leaders from 355th Force Support Squadron, principals and superintendents from Arizona school districts, and representatives of the Arizona state government attended the event. Before the ceremony, attendees observed a STARBASE STEAM class in progress. 

STARBASE provides students with 25 hours of structured, hands-on STEAM instruction at military bases across the country. The program exposes participants to technological environments and positive civilian and military role models. It allows students the opportunity to interact with military personnel, to explore careers and see real-world applications of STEAM concepts.

"We have experts from the [Davis-Monthan] community who have given hours to brief the kids on their jobs and allow them to ask them directly about what they do," said Impellizzeri. "It is really powerful for the kids to see that in action, and that is our mission, to provide these opportunities to students because if you don't know a career and you don't see it, then you can't be it."

STARBASE Arizona has operated at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base since 2006 and serves students from multiple school districts in the Tucson, Arizona, area. 

Joint Task Force Southern Guard Hosts Corporals Course

Jan. 8, 2026 | By Army Spc. Daely Goodwin, Joint Task Force Southern Guard |

Service members assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Guard received a unique opportunity to attend the Marine Corps corporals course while deployed at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Dec. 9-22, 2025.   

The course is a demanding professional military education development program designed to prepare Marines for the responsibilities of a noncommissioned officer. 

"Training alongside soldiers and Marines in the corporals course gave me a deeper understanding of how each branch executes the mission every day and how leaders overcome the same universal problems," an Air Force attendee said.  

A Marine attending the course said the joint environment helped the students understand the culture of the other services and reemphasized the importance of joint interoperability. 

"It took some time for me to let my guard down and start communicating with the other branches, but I realized we are all here for the same purpose," the Marine said, adding, "I know now it makes us a much more effective warfighting organization when we can communicate and work closely with our joint service members." 

Throughout the course, the students met in a classroom setting to learn the core duties of an NCO through discussion topics on tactical communication, navigation, career progression, leadership fundamentals, drill and ceremonies, and counseling techniques. 

In addition to maintaining an academic standard, service members were expected to maintain a physical standard throughout the duration of the course. Every morning, students participated in group physical training. The training also helped prepare them for the obstacle course — physically demanding team challenges that included log jumps, rope climbs, climbing walls, balance beams and pull-up bars, culminating in a sprint to the finish. 

After two weeks of training, the students graduated from the corporals course with the confidence to succeed as noncommissioned officers and a newfound appreciation for working in joint environments. 

"To be an NCO is to care, not only for your Marines, but it's your job to be the backbone of the Marine Corps," a Marine attendee said. "Being an NCO means being a great leader, mentor and overall good human being. Be a strong leader every day so we can be effective and lethal when the time comes."