MTIs mentor cadet cadre

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --

A group of military training instructors from Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, joined cadet cadre in Jacks Valley this week as part of an Air Education and Training Command and USAFA training partnership.

 

According to Lt. Col. Adam Larson, 322nd Training Squadron commander, the goal of this partnership is to make Basic Cadet Training as successful as possible.

 

“We provide intense, challenging and respectful training to produce great Airmen,” Larson said. “We hold people accountable without degrading or demeaning them.”

 

Earlier this year, 30 cadets embedded with MTIs at Basic Military Training at Lackland to learn how to motivate and develop new members of the military. In May, MTIs visited the Academy to talk to cadre and develop their leadership skills.

 

“We’re here this week to follow up, offer tools to motivate the cadet trainees, and get feedback,” said Tech. Sgt. Giselle Janousek, an MTI. “We teach the importance of holding each other accountable and empowering trainees with some kind of task that they are responsible for.”

 

Although the concepts are simple, MTIs are able to offer big-picture concepts to the cadre.

 

“We help the cadre see the light at the end of the tunnel regarding where [unaddressed] attitudes and issues can lead,” said Master Sgt. James Correll, an MTI.

 

The instructors have carried over lessons learned from changes made to BMT over the last four years that are now strengthening cadre leadership and basic cadet trainees at the Academy.

 

“Our goal for BCT courses was to motivate the cadet trainees to take ownership of their experience and feel a tangible sense of accomplishment every time they complete a course,” said C1C Haji Dunn, BCT Jacks Valley courses commander. “The timely feedback the MTIs gave us allowed us to better meet this goal. They truly respected the work we put in and the way we executed.”

 

The cadre have put their skills to the test during the last month and have not disappointed.

 

“I’m impressed by the strong comradery and teamwork piece evident [at the Academy],” Correll said. “We didn’t need to try and teach that.”