AFA cadets explore Sheppard as part of summer program: "Operation Air Force"

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Pedro Tenorio
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs

SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – For 16 days in the middle of summer, six chipper, unscathed and untested Air Force Academy cadets braved the furnace like winds of North Texas to be part of a summer program known as Operation Air Force.

From June 5-20, Cadet 2nd Classes Harris Cannon, Alex Knight, Nadeen Lieberman, Cristopher Mitchell, Ian Moffett and Miknayla Polivka traveled south from the beautiful mountains of Colorado to the plains of Wichita Falls as part of a required summer program to immerse future officers into the operational side of the Air Force.

These six cadets were assigned to Sheppard Air Force Base. They were given tours of the 82nd Training Wing and 80th Flying Training Wing, which included testing out simulators, attending classes, getting their hands dirty and overall seeing through the eyes of an operational and enlisted Airman.

"The big thing that we wanted to accomplish with the cadets was to give them an in-depth look at the training experience that many different officer and enlisted (Air Force specialty codes) receive here," said Maj. Edwin Gaston, 362nd Training Squadron director of operations.

The cadet's shared that their experiences at Sheppard were eye-opening to the future Air Force leaders. This summer program gave them the chance to see the Air Force in a different light.

“The immersion into the enlisted side of things of the Air Force, especially the Airmen in Training part of it, was really eye-opening,” Lieberman said. “I am really glad I got Sheppard because this is the point of the program to see a lot of different jobs and it was really cool to see the AiTs in action.”

The cadets were shocked and amazed at how technical training actually worked for enlisted Airmen. They did not get to experience the whole phase system or dorm life, but going to each squadron in the vast buffet that is the 82nd Training Wing, was once again eye-opening for the six young cadets.

“We got to see the kind of training they got to do and the different regulations they fall under,” Lieberman said. “I think that was very important because [the Academy] is training us to be leaders, but we don’t really get the whole picture of who we’re leading necessarily.”

Academy life and technical training life at Sheppard are two completely different worlds. Coming to Sheppard was their chance to interact with the people they could be leading in the future.

“This is pretty eye-opening for most of us, if not all of us, for what to expect in our future,” Polivka said. “Our interaction with the enlisted is very limited. We have enlisted mentors in each squadron, but besides that, we don’t have too much interaction with the operational Air Force.”

Seeing the different Airmen from all different walks of life and all working different Air Force specialty codes were very enlightening for some of the cadets.

“I learned that every job has a purpose,” Lieberman said. “We see more and are trained to do the officer side of things, but doing your AFSC and being a leader goes on in the enlisted side as well.”

Overall, the cadets learned many things from enlisted AiTs, but coming to Sheppard also gave them an opportunity to see operational officers as well and to learn from them.

“We also got to talk to officers and see different leadership styles in action,” Polivka said. “We will be leading in the future. To try to figure out what will work for us was an awesome opportunity.”

Near the end of their tour at Sheppard, the cadets were very grateful to have come here, even though some of their classmates were sent to “cooler” bases. They said the unique environment of Sheppard having two training wings gave them special insights they could not have gotten anywhere else. This program would stay with them as a growing experience to become respectable Air Force officers.

“Definitely not ready to be an officer right now,” Leiberman said. “We have two more years to learn, but I definitely think this helps guide me as far as what I can improve upon. What I can go out and search. Guide my improvement for the most part.”

The cadets left on June 20 back to the Air Force Academy in Colorado, where they will have two more years before promoting to second lieutenants and being sent off to their first base.