Welcome to the Air Force Institute of Technology

by Lt Col John Nehr, AFIT School of Systems and Logistics

In the Air Force Institute of Technology’s School of Systems and Logistics, we have the honor of training approximately 500 officers each year in our Air Force Fundamentals of Acquisition Management Course, the badge awarding course for new acquisition officers and civilians. As the AFFAM Course Director, I’ve been blessed to instruct and mentor many of these future leaders of Air Force weapon system acquisition. From what I can observe through classroom and personal interaction, the future of our Air Force is bright. I have found the overwhelming majority of these officers to be energetic, innovative, and ethical.

It’s very refreshing to see the energy level of young officers straight out of their commissioning source and young civilians straight out of college. They are ready to take on new challenges, lead peers into battle, and make a difference in the world. They are accustomed to putting “service before self” and will continue to do so. Their energy is an outstanding attribute, but one which must be focused and given direction, much like a laser beam. Without focus and direction, their effectiveness in accomplishing the mission diminishes. These future leaders need our guidance to help them focus and find their direction in the Air Force. As a field grade officer, I consider it my privilege to help shape these “floodlight” junior officers and civilians into “laser beam” acquisition professionals.

This subset of the junior force is also quite innovative. They challenge instructions and regulations they don’t consider to make sense. They question inputs to leadership decisions. Their innovativeness is another positive attribute, but it too must be channeled productively. Innovation misapplied leads to confusion and disobedience. To be innovative requires changing the rules or working creatively within them. It does not allow breaking the rules or resisting leadership decisions once decisions have been made. Active mentoring helps these junior force members to apply their innovativeness within the boundaries of good judgment and military discipline.

In our AFFAM class, we discuss Air Force core values and how a few Air Force leaders fell short in living up to them. I’m encouraged to know that our future acquisition leaders feel every bit as strongly about ethical behavior as the rest of us do. They complain to me about short prison terms for the offenders, and unequal justice. They expect integrity, self-sacrifice, and excellence from their leadership and themselves. Their generation is poised to uphold the sacred trust of the American people at least as well as we have.

As I’ve already said, the future is bright for tomorrow’s Air Force…but only if today’s Air Force leaders take the time—make the time—to mentor these fine young men and women and help transform their leadership potential into leadership reality. Talk with them and find out what’s on their minds; give them the benefit of your years of experience and wisdom; demonstrate you care for their career progression and their well-being. They are, after all, your wingmen and your legacy.