VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The U.S. Air and Space Force prioritize bolstering support for their critical missions through personal and professional development for the installation’s Guardians and Airmen. At the core of Vandenberg's personnel development initiatives is the Education Center, where a variety of courses are offered to enhance the knowledge and proficiency of Guardians and Airmen. These courses cover a diverse range of subjects, fostering both personal and professional growth among military personnel.
One of the newest offered opportunities is the Junior Enlisted Foundations Course (JEFC), which began Nov. 20, 2023. Spearheading this course is U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Bond Aulik, 30th Force Support Squadron airman development advisor.
“JEFC’s purpose is to mold Guardians and Airmen into servicemembers who are both a problem solver and decision maker, but most importantly, a joint Warfighter,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Bond Aulik, 30th Force Support Squadron airman development advisor, who spearheads the JEFC.
Some of the course’s segments are conversational skills, networking, and systems 1 and systems 2 thinking, which delves into the two thinking paths: simplistic, but inefficient or complexly deep, yet efficient. These course portions tie together to advance Vandenberg’s junior enlisted further in their personal and professional lives.
“Being able to teach part of this course meant a lot because I think it is a vital and excellent opportunity to teach Airmen and Guardians how to grow personally and professionally outside the typical college realm,” said was U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Asua Rose, 30th Civil Engineer Squadron engineer flight superintendent, who heads one of the course’s segments. “It allows them to understand skills the U.S. Air Force deems necessary while enabling them to network with others.”
The JEFC is just one of many foundation courses Vandenberg provides to hone its personnel to face the mission head on. The Education Center provides these opportunities with a structured platform for individuals to acquire leadership training, communication skills, and vital knowledge.
“Foundation courses aim to enable the professional and personal development of warfighting organizations by providing individual and Delta level training for current and future generations,” Aulik said. “Each course caters to specific ranks or positions to provide professional and civilian education services to increase the capacity of our workforce across all domains.”
As space exploration and defense play increasingly crucial roles in national security, Vandenberg remains at the forefront, cultivating a stronger, well-developed workforce in the frontier of space operations.