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188th Student Flight sets up Airmen for basic training success

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody Martin
  • 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Preparation has always been a key to success for members of the Air National Guard. That is why student flight, a program developed to prepare recently sworn-in Guardsmen, was created. That preparation has shown to be an asset to many young Airmen who are part of the 188th Fighter Wing's Student Flight program located at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.

The right of passage to becoming an Airman may begin at Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, but the 188th equips those future Airmen for lasting success in its student flight program. While in the program, they learn fundamentals to being a member of the Air National Guard that helps put them a step ahead once they get to Lackland AFB.

"We've learned quite a bit actually," said Roger Henry, student flight member. "Ranks, the Airman's Creed, marching, core values, pretty much everything you're going to need to know in the Air Force or any part of the military. Everything I can be to be a leader."

With every graduate who returns, more material for the program is gained through knowledge of what the newly-graduated Airmen experienced during basic training. The information gathered is then used to help build the program so that future student flight members can further benefit from that knowledge.

"A question I ask them when they come back from basic is what helped them the most from student flight and basic training and what helped them the least," said Senior Master Sgt. Shawn Shaffer, the force development superintendent for the 188th Force Support Squadron. "I will take that data and then I will change the way we do business in here."

The results are hard to argue with on how much more prepared student flight members are than those who were never in the program. Within the past year, members of the 188th have achieved numerous awards and accolades that help jumpstart their new Air National Guard careers.

"In the past 12-14 months we've had 32 honor graduates come out of this program," Shaffer said. "They will go down there and make warrior flight or honor grad; they will rack up every award that is given. They only give those awards to the top one percent of the graduates, so the 188th snags all of those awards."

The success of previous student flight members breeds confidence throughout the new members. With the knowledge and experience they receive from the student flight program, new Airmen are able to go to basic training and continue the 188th's tradition of excellence.

"This has brought me a lot more knowledge," said Robert Rolfe, student flight member. "I'm glad they are doing student flight, because if not, I would have gone in there and it would have been bad news."

The program also enables trainees to be leaders in the military. Student flight gives them the opportunity to lead with certain tasks that are assigned throughout their time spent in the program. The experience helps ready them to take on a leadership role throughout their new careers as Airmen.

"I try to pick one person from student flight and say 'you are in charge of this' and I will let them manage that little piece of the overall pie," Shaffer said. "I always tell them I don't want followers, the military needs leaders. That is what I try to instill in them. We have 30 Student Flight members and I have 30 leaders in here. Every one of them can do anything."

188th Student Flight sets up Airmen for basic training success

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cody Martin
  • 188th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
FORT SMITH, Ark. --  Preparation has always been a key to success for members of the Air National Guard. That is why student flight, a program developed to prepare recently sworn-in Guardsmen, was created. That preparation has shown to be an asset to many young Airmen who are part of the 188th Fighter Wing's Student Flight program located at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.

The right of passage to becoming an Airman may begin at Basic Military Training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, but the 188th equips those future Airmen for lasting success in its student flight program. While in the program, they learn fundamentals to being a member of the Air National Guard that helps put them a step ahead once they get to Lackland AFB.

"We've learned quite a bit actually," said Roger Henry, student flight member. "Ranks, the Airman's Creed, marching, core values, pretty much everything you're going to need to know in the Air Force or any part of the military. Everything I can be to be a leader."

With every graduate who returns, more material for the program is gained through knowledge of what the newly-graduated Airmen experienced during basic training. The information gathered is then used to help build the program so that future student flight members can further benefit from that knowledge.

"A question I ask them when they come back from basic is what helped them the most from student flight and basic training and what helped them the least," said Senior Master Sgt. Shawn Shaffer, the force development superintendent for the 188th Force Support Squadron. "I will take that data and then I will change the way we do business in here."

The results are hard to argue with on how much more prepared student flight members are than those who were never in the program. Within the past year, members of the 188th have achieved numerous awards and accolades that help jumpstart their new Air National Guard careers.

"In the past 12-14 months we've had 32 honor graduates come out of this program," Shaffer said. "They will go down there and make warrior flight or honor grad; they will rack up every award that is given. They only give those awards to the top one percent of the graduates, so the 188th snags all of those awards."

The success of previous student flight members breeds confidence throughout the new members. With the knowledge and experience they receive from the student flight program, new Airmen are able to go to basic training and continue the 188th's tradition of excellence.

"This has brought me a lot more knowledge," said Robert Rolfe, student flight member. "I'm glad they are doing student flight, because if not, I would have gone in there and it would have been bad news."

The program also enables trainees to be leaders in the military. Student flight gives them the opportunity to lead with certain tasks that are assigned throughout their time spent in the program. The experience helps ready them to take on a leadership role throughout their new careers as Airmen.

"I try to pick one person from student flight and say 'you are in charge of this' and I will let them manage that little piece of the overall pie," Shaffer said. "I always tell them I don't want followers, the military needs leaders. That is what I try to instill in them. We have 30 Student Flight members and I have 30 leaders in here. Every one of them can do anything."