Education key to success Published Dec. 11, 2009 By Lt. Col. Brady Hauboldt 4th Space Launch Squadron commander VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- As we begin to look ahead to a welcome holiday break, many of us will also return attention to long-neglected training and education. In the chief of staff of the Air Force's Year of the Air Force Family, December is set aside to focus on personal and professional development; however, this is a subject that should be an essential element of the total force career all year long. The members of the 4th Space Launch Squadron are charged with being the Western Range launch experts, leading spacelift operations to support our joint warfighter and national command authority. Like many endeavors today, we rely on our contractor mission partners to fulfill this role. Training and education is a vital part of our business, as it is only through knowledge that we are able to think critically throughout the complex launch campaign and ensure our nation retains assured access to space now, next year and long into the future. As new accessions, many of us looked ahead at the daunting list of college courses, advanced technical schools, professional military education, acquisition professional development and a host of other Air Force training programs. Most of those people who claim success attribute it to an endurance runner's approach - starting with one or two classes at a time, on-line programs and PME by correspondence. Personal and professional development should not be limited to an individual's own "gut check." At virtually all levels of Air Force careers, we have the opportunity to mentor, often informally at first, then more formally later as supervisors. According to Air Force Policy Directive 36-34, Air Force Mentoring Program, mentoring requires a "direct involvement of the supervisor in the professional development of those he/she supervises. The supervisor must continuously challenge subordinates." As part of mentoring, setting and documenting our educational goals is essential. Each of us should begin with the Airmen Development Plan - Officer's Development, Enlisted Development Plan or Civilian Development plan - hosted on the Air Force Personnel Center Web site. At any rank, civilian or military, writing your development plan should include goals to complete PME. Opportunities exist for everyone on-line and in-residence at the appropriate level of your career progression. Off-base education is the perfect complement to military training. It provides a foundation for increasing our knowledge and ability to think critically. Again, the Air Force and Air Force Space Command provide avenues for completion whether on-line, part-time or full-time in-residence. AFSPC's Civilian Tuition Assistance Program is available to pay for mission-related courses to help you attain your educational goals. The new Post-9/11 GI Bill is also a fantastic benefit now provided to military members to pay for college - for yourself or your dependents. Don't wait to sign up via the Veterans Affairs Web site (www.va.gov). Vandenberg's own Base Education Center has more information on many local college offerings, to include the Community College of the Air Force. Finally, continuing education can be found no farther than your own bookshelf. My nightstand is home to a stack of books related to leadership, current combat operations in the Afghanistan and Iraq, and the endurance of the spirit. If you are not a regular reader, I'd encourage you to start with the Air Force chief of staff's reading list found at www.af.mil/information/csafreading/index.asp.