Officers travel to England for leadership development

Citizen Airman, Dec, 2004 by Angela Blazier

Nineteen Air Force Reservists from various bases across the United States joined their counterparts from four other countries Aug. 1-6 to participate in an International Junior Officer Leadership Development Seminar at Prince William of Gloucester Barracks in Grantham, England.

IJOLDS, organized annually by the Professional Development Center at Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., provides Air Force Reserve and international reserve junior officers an opportunity to train together.

"I am a staunch believer in this kind of training," said Brig. J.A.J. Thomson, deputy inspector general to Britain's Territorial Army, in addressing the participants. "Young officers are the lifeblood of the reserves. This conference is about the building of relationships.... this conference is to help you understand a different point of view."

As part of the seminar, participants were required to take part in a leadership reaction obstacle course. The officers were divided into groups, which had to successfully accomplish a command task within a given time period. Instructors evaluated the officers' ability to lead and contribute to a team.

"It's about putting people under pressure to understand how they will react," said Capt. Ian Mountain of the Territorial Army. "You don't really find out what people are like until you put them under pressure. There is an element of experience in doing these tasks--elements of success, which are the fundamentals of leadership."

In addition, participants took part in a planning exercise in which they were given a mission scenario with various objectives. They had 40 minutes to memorize the mission particulars and formulate a plan to accomplish mission goals. Each team discussed its individual plan, and then the group selected one plan as the best.

One by one, each person had to recite specific details of his or her own team's plan as well as the group plan without the use of notes. British facilitators questioned the students in an antagonistic manner, insisting on quick and detailed responses, in an effort to teach the students to think and react under pressure.

"We sampled some different leadership training styles," said Capt. Rob Fritts, 442nd Fighter Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. "And while they all may differ, the manifestation and exhibition of leadership is quite personal, regardless of nationality. If there was one thing I learned from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it was there are different ways to approach and solve problems, and there can be more than one right answer to any problem."

Air Force Reserve junior officers, unit reservists as well as individual mobilization augmentees, who are interested in participating in IJOLDS may contact Mickey Crawford, program manager, at DSN 497-0933 or commercial (478) 327-0933 for information on nomination procedures. Ms. Crawford's e-mail address is mickey.crawford@afrc.af.mil. Also, information about IJOLDS is available on the AFRC intranet (https://wwwmil.afrc.af.mil/hq/dp/dpi/home/ Professional_Development_Center.htm) available from a military computer.

(Sergeant Blazier is assigned to the 442nd FW public affairs office at Whiteman AFB.)