Officers attend professional development class Published Aug. 7, 2013 By 1st Lt. Korey Fratini 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- What is leadership? That was the overarching question asked to captains and lieutenants at the Air Leadership University professional development seminar at the Scott Club July 31 and Aug. 1. The two-day seminar was hosted by the Scott AFB Company Grade Officer's Council. A combination of 55 lieutenants and captains filled the Scott Club to participate in mentorship sessions. It took five months of organized planning by Capts. Sarah Bodenheimer and Amanda Furguson, who worked together to have a wide range of topics and presentations that would be valuable to those in attendance. Col. Kyle Kremer, 375th Air Mobility Wing commander, opened the seminar with remarks to the young officers, and applauded the CGOC for taking the initiative to organize the event. "I have developed a passion for professional development," he said. "One of the greatest things I have learned is to take advantage of opportunities presented to you." Col. John Price, 375th Air Mobility Wing vice commander, served as the class mentor. "I encourage you to stay engaged," Price said. "There are few opportunities to get together with your peers and develop yourselves ... it's an investment in our future and our Air Force." The Air Force highly encourages its Airmen to find ways to professionally develop themselves as they progress through their career. In times when the Air Force faces tough challenges whether it's budget constraints or future conflicts around the world, leaders need to find ways to develop themselves. Attendees were mentored by members of the senior enlisted and officer corps. Presentations ranged from professional ethics, professional military education, protocol and etiquette, and strategic planning. Senior Master Sgt. Matthew Randall gave his perspective as a first sergeant. He honed his discussion on the issue of proactive vs. reactive leadership, noting that oftentimes leaders are practicing reactive leadership. "You have to be proactive when it comes to leadership," he said, "If you have a proactive stance on leadership, many of the problems we face can be avoided." Participants also got the opportunity to hear from Maj. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, commander, 618th Air and Space Operations Center. Zadalis began by posing the question of what comes first, people or the mission? The reaction was divided in the room. Some said that people are always first while others voiced that the mission comes first. Zadalis gave his thoughts on the question, "Simply put, people always come first." He said if leaders put people first they will ensure that the mission gets accomplished. "Without them, the mission would not get done." First Lt. Mathew Davis, 3rd Manpower Requirements Squadron, said the two-day seminar was helpful. "I really enjoyed the wealth of experience that came with each of the featured leaders. They were very knowledgeable and more than happy to impart their knowledge to us," he said. The seminar did not just give the officers an opportunity to learn from various leaders across the base, it also gave them a chance to learn from and network with each other. Many of them do not get the chance to see and hear about what people in other career fields are doing and this setting gave them that chance. Col. Price said, "Day-to-day activities keep us in our stove pipe and it is events like this that allow us as officers to see the common ground, the overall picture and how we are all a part of the same team." With the success of this professional development seminar, the CGOC hopes to provide more of them to young officers in the future.