Desert Lightning News, Nellis-Creech AFB Edition, June 29 2018

vol. 2, no. 12 Serving Southern Nevada’s military community, including Nellis, Creech and NTTR June 29, 2018 An Aerotech news And review publicAtion • www.Aerotechnews.com
USAFWS holds first ...
Loadmaster advanced instructor course
by Senior Airman Kevin Tanenbaum
Nellis AFB, Nev.
The inaugural iteration of the Loadmaster Advanced Instruc- tor Course (AIC) for the C-130J Super Hercules participated in the U.S. Air Force Weapons School Advanced Integration from May 21 to June 13.
AIC adds another level of professional development for Airmen and develops excep- tional leaders for the future of the career field.
“Our vision for this course is to take the baseline of what our community knowledge is and increase it,” said Tech. Sgt. Rich- ard Hauf, a loadmaster assigned to the 29th Weapons Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. “At the moment, we have an instructor school, and that’s all. Senior airmen can hit instructor school early in their career and other than that there is no progression to make Air- men more advanced.”
The main focus of the two- week instructor course is used to train Airmen in instructing at the technical school level, where some of the students have never flown in an aircraft. The four month AIC will take that baseline of knowledge and build beyond it, said Hauf.
“We’re sprinkling a lot of higher level tactics and capa- bilities of the planes, including the ‘whys’ and the ‘hows’ in an attempt to get loadmasters more involved in the mission plan- ning process,” said Hauf.
To attend the AIC Airmen are nominated through their respective squadrons and ap- proved by their wing com-
mander. After being nominated at the wing level, their package is submitted to a selection board consisting of the major com- mand career field functional managers throughout the Air Force, they convene either in person or by teleconference to board and select who will attend the course.
One of the main goals for the 29th WPS loadmasters who initially created the course was to offer leadership opportuni- ties to younger Airmen within the community, said Master Sgt. Will Freshley, 29th WPS loadmaster.
“People look at the Weapons School and only see it as a tac- tics course, which it is, but it’s also a leadership course, and that’s what we are pushing on
__ See course, on Page 3
INSIDE: Commentary - 2; News - 3; Veterans News - 4-6; Safety - 12; Nellis Living - 13
Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Kevin Tanenbaum
Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Kevin Tanenbaum
Senior Master Sgt. Kenneth Hartsell, 29th Weapons Squadron loadmaster, opens the backdoor of a C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft prior to a U.S. Air Force Weapons School Advanced Integration mission on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, June 10, 2018. The Loadmaster Advanced Instructor Course adds another level of professional development for Airmen and develops exceptional leaders for the future of the career field.
LEFT: Master Sgt. William Freshley, 29th Weapons Squadron loadmaster, secures a static line on a C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft prior to a U. S. Air Force Weapons School Advanced Integration mission on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, June 10, 2018. This was the first iteration of the Loadmaster Advanced Instructor Course for the C-130J to be a part of WISNT.