ALS shows Airmen 'how leadership is supposed to be done' Published Aug. 6, 2014 By Senior Airman Tristin English 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- When the time is right, senior airman and staff sergeants are selected to attend Airman Leadership School to develop and strengthen the skills they need to lead and follow while fostering a better understanding of the military. As an Air Force professional development course, the ALS curriculum is 24 academic duty days consisting of communication skills, writing and speaking. Students have to write Enlisted Performance Reports, award citations and give speeches. "My job is to provide the information to the students and their job is to process and absorb it," said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Kruse-Wright, ALS instructor. Instructors provide information but students have to decide what to do with it and how they are going to apply it into different situations and scenarios. "It fosters critical thinking and the assignments have changed in that they are more relevant to what they will encounter once they return to their units after attending ALS," said Kruse-Wright, who has been an instructor for three years. ALS isn't just about listening to teachers inside a class room. Every day two students from each class room must give the weather for the day and a news topic to discuss. They are also required to complete written assignments, uniform inspections, a drill performance and must also pass a PT test in order to graduate. ALS can also be time consuming to both students and instructors. Students must complete reading and homework assignments. If students need extra help, instructors are willing to come in early or stay late to help them graduate. "Students come in not knowing what to expect; they are doing assignments, writing packages and EPRs for their subordinates," said Staff Sgt. Rebecca Millas, ALS instructor. "It's a big team working together as one to make sure everyone makes it through the course." Toward the end of ALS, students and instructors vote for who they think should win awards at the graduation ceremony. Academic Achievement award is determined on how well they do on their test and assignments. The Commandant award is based on contributions to the team, in which their peers and instructors evaluate them on the course and pick them based more on personality and ability to lead. The Distinguished Graduate award is based off academic performance and how well they helped others. The Levitow award is reserved for the best student, the top performer academically, the most respected and best leader overall. This is the highest award given in ALS. "The students get tools out of the course," said Tech. Sgt. Jeremy Zimmerman, ALS instructor. "If they want to use the tools, they could refer back to their study guides and apply it to the situation." The curriculum the instructors teach helps set students and their subordinates up for success. "I've been an instructor since March, and my favorite part would have to be witnessing the students graduate," Millas said. "Just seeing how happy they are and knowing they are going to take the information we give them and apply it every day. I find it very fulfilling."