Airman Leadership School serves as an enlisted Air Force member's first professional military education course. Not only has the McChord ALS Julius A. Kolb developed leadership abilities in airmen, but also has recently developed the skills of members in other branches of the service.

Spc. Andrew Affonso, Henry H. Lind NCO Academy, information technology specialist, became the first Joint Base Lewis-McChord Army soldier to graduate the Julius A. Kolb ALS, Feb. 11, during a ceremony at the McChord Club.

The ALS program is a six-week course of primarily guided discussion classroom methodology, experimental activities, and exercises and case studies. It also features uniform inspection, physical training and drill.

"I had just finished the Basic Leaders Course on Lewis, when my leadership asked me if I wanted to attend the McChord ALS," said Affonso. "I didn't even know that there was an option to attend another branch's leadership school, so I jumped on the opportunity to go."

Affonso, the first JBLM soldier to get the opportunity to attend ALS here, learned leadership skills in an Air Force curriculum to meet his education requirement to become an NCO. Most soldiers attend an Army NCO Academy prior to becoming an NCO.

"This was a great experience for me," said Affonso. "I learned a lot about the Air Force culture and how the Air Force operates as a whole."

ALS covers combat leadership, military professionalism, airmen supervision, verbal and written communication, and group dynamics. A majority of the instruction focuses around various Air Force rules and regulations.

One of the biggest challenges for the ALS McChord instructors was figuring out how to deliver an Air Force-based curriculum to another service branch.

"This wasn't my first time teaching a different branch of service," said Staff Sgt. Jessica Raab, JBLM ALS instructor. "But it was a challenge for me because I had to remove all the Air Force acronyms because he didnt know them, and retrain and change the way I teach to be more effective for him."

One benefit most students can agree on was the networking that took place during ALS.

"Not only did I learn a lot, but I met a lot of cool people," said Affonso. "I absolutely would recommend other soldiers to (attend) ALS if they get the opportunity. Not many of us can say we attended ALS."

JBLM ALS plans to continue adding more members of other branches into the course.

"The next class we have, there will be some Navy sailors attending," said Raab. "We will continue to integrate our sister services into our school because I believe it is a really good experience to see the different perspective of leadership the other services bring, especially since we teach on perspective."

Col. Paige Abbott formally took command of the Washington Air National Guard's 225th Support Squadron during an assumption of command ceremony, Jan. 29, at the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) at McChord Field. Col. William Krueger, 225th Air Defense Group (ADG) commander, officiated over the ceremony.

In her first address as the new commander, Abbott highlighted Washington State Assistant Adjutant General - Air Brig. Gen. John Tuohy's priorities for the Washington Air National Guard: mission, accountability and people (MAP).

"I know well the great responsibility of being a commander," said Abbott. "The leadership team at WADS takes those tenants very seriously. We take them into account when we are making decisions on our federal and state missions, when we are looking for the best career development moves for our people and how we manage our resources."

As the outgoing 225th Air Defense Squadron commander, Abbott discussed the changing challenges in the asymmetrical homeland defense mission and the new strategic threats the operators and maintainers are faced with due to new mission systems and platforms, especially in a resource-restrained environment.

"I am extremely proud to have been your commander, and I know that you are paving the road ahead for the Washington Air National Guardsmen that will follow you," explained Abbott. "I know that you will make us proud and you are setting the bar high."

Abbott then turned her attention to the members of the 225th Support Squadron for which she took command and explained how proud and humbled she is to be able to lead a team that is the bedrock of the homeland defense mission set.

"The support tasks are what allow the members of the 225th ADS and all of the Western Air Defense Sector to be successful," said Abbott.

"We will always be known as the Western Defense Sector," concluded Abbott in her closing remarks.

She emphasized that WADS is truly one team, even though it is made up of one group with two distinct squadrons.

The 225th Support Squadron is a subordinate unit of the 225th Air Defense Group. The 225th ADG conducts the mission of the Western Air Defense Sector. WADS is headquartered on Joint Base Lewis-McChord and is staffed primarily by full-time Washington Air National Guardsmen and a Canadian Forces detachment. The unit supports NORAD's integrated warning and attack assessment missions and the U.S. Northern Command's homeland defense mission. WADS is responsible for air sovereignty and counter-air operations over the western United States and directs a variety of assets to defend 2.2 million square miles of land and sea.

Abbott is specifically responsible for maintenance of the systems providing constant air sovereignty command, control and communications from Minnesota, west along the Canadian border, down the Pacific Coast, and along the Mexican border from California to Mississippi. These systems include 195 joint-use sensors, tethered aerostats, communications infrastructure, a classified network control center, and multiple command and control mission systems throughout the Battle Control Center. She is also responsible for facility and power plant maintenance, operations and security.

Abbott is a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) at the College of the Holy Cross, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology in 1990. After five years of active-duty service in the Air Force, she joined the Washington Air National Guard in 1996.

Abbott is a Master Air Battle Manager and has deployed and supported Operation Support Sovereignty and Operation Support Justice IV, where she served as Detachment Four commander. Since 2001, she has been leading personnel in the homeland defense Operation Noble Eagle mission. Prior to assuming her current position, she served as 225th Air Defense Squadron commander for the Western Air Defense Sector.

Members of the 225th Air Defense Squadron (ADS) welcomed their new commander during a change of command ceremony, Jan. 29, at the Western Air Defense Sector (WADS) at McChord Field.

Lt. Col. Brett Bosselmann took command of the 225th ADS from Col. Paige Abbott, who assumed command of the 225th Support Squadron. Col. William Krueger, 225th Air Defense Group commander, officiated over the ceremony and emphasized that Bosselmann "is absolutely the right choice to take charge of the critical Air Defense operations force."

In his first address as the new commander, Bosselmann outlined the five ingredients that he feels makes the 225th Air Defense Squadron excel.

"We have a mission that our people believe in, and we are resourced to train and equip our people to do that mission," said Bosselmann. "We recruit innovative and motivated people, we foster an environment that respects and values people's good ideas, and we invest time in mentoring and developing our people so they will one day be the leaders standing up here talking about this building and this mission and how it has been on watch continuously since 1958."

"We have a very important mission, guarding America's skies - 24 hours a day, seven days a week continuously for nearly sixty years with our Canadian partners," said Bosselmann. "In order to maintain national air sovereignty, we are on continuous watch to detect, identify, track and prosecute airborne threats. The stakes are high when defending the airspace over our country."

The 225th Air Defense Squadron is a subordinate unit of the 225th Air Defense Group. The 225th ADS conducts the mission of the Western Air Defense Sector. WADS is headquartered on Joint Base Lewis-McChord and is staffed primarily by full-time Washington Air National Guardsmen and a Canadian Forces detachment. The unit supports NORAD's integrated warning and attack assessment missions and the U.S. Northern Command's homeland defense mission. WADS is responsible for air sovereignty and counter-air operations over the western United States and directs a variety of assets to defend 2.2 million square miles of land and sea.

Bosselmann is specifically responsible for maintaining North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) air sovereignty and aerospace control over 73 percent of the western United States, as well as providing leadership and management of 215 Air National Guard, Canadian Air Force, contractors and civilian personnel. He oversees the conduct and mission execution for command and control operations of seven NORAD aerospace control alert detachments, 14 alert aircraft, refueling tankers, airborne early warning aircraft, and Army air and missile defense assets in the National Capital Region. He is an active operational liaison for multiple Department of Defense, higher headquarters agencies, and Department of Homeland Security partners.

The Julius A. Kolb Airman Leadership School instructors at Joint Base Lewis-McChord spend more than 172 hours in the classroom per class and with more than two-dozen students per class, and classes starting every six weeks, they have done more for the U.S. Air Force than teach thousands of students coursework, they have shaped the future of our non-commissioned officer corps.

There are three 62nd Airlift Wing ALS instructors, Tech. Sgt. James Lee, Tech. Sgt. Justine Doyle and Staff Sgt. Jessica Raab each have unique backgrounds and experiences and give more to their students than an eight-to-four-hour duty day.

The team devotes countless hours to each and every student who walks through their doors with one objective, to give them the tools they need to become great leaders.

The desire to be the change he wanted to see is what led Tech. Sgt. Lee to become an ALS instructor.

"I wanted stronger NCOs," said Lee. "I wanted NCOs to have the courage to give honest feedback and who weren't too scared to make difficult decisions."

Lee said he felt a need for a stronger NCO corps that worked together and lifted each other up.

"I feel like I do my best to emulate exactly how an NCO should be and act to my students," Lee said. "I have spoken with confidence; I've given direction and I did everything the little brown book tells you to do."

The biggest impact he said he has had is one-on-one with his students.

"(This job) made me a better listener," said Lee. "It gave me the ability to step back and empower others."

Lee said this opportunity in his career has become much more to him than a job.

"It's now about finishing something," Lee said. "Our ideology is changing as a force, and as an instructor, I have first-hand experience of this change."

Raab said her motivation to be an instructor was the perspective it offered her, but it became much more personal.

"I didn't think I would care as much as I do," said Raab. "I want my students to succeed."

Raab said being an NCO is not that hard if you try.

"If you're being a good airman, thexn you are being a good NCO," said Raab.

She said being an instructor made her more accountable.

"We have to be what we teach," Raab said. "If not, I will lose my credibility."

Doyle said this job by far has been the best job she has ever had.

"I love the students. I've picked up people skills and I've learned to be a better NCO," said Doyle. "But, the best moments I have had are with the students and the staff.

"We work really well together as a team. If someone needs something, we help each other out. It would be detrimental to the team if we didn't."

Doyle, who has instructed at ALS for almost four years, said her gratification comes from students, who she helped cross the stage, come back and say they've used lessons she taught them.

"ALS is the foundation for being a good supervisor," Doyle said.

Doyle's tenure at ALS is almost up, but she said she is excited to get back to her original career field.

"I want to see how I can give back now," said Doyle. "I've gained this experience and now I want to go back and see what I can do with it. That's the point of it all."

The instructors have learned more than knowledge in professional military education in the U.S. Air Force, they have gained wisdom.

"Because of this job, I have a new outlook on my whole life now," said Lee. "The students have impacted me just as much as I have impacted them."

An inevitable part of flying any aircraft is that they will need maintenance at some point or another. One particular C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 62nd Airlift Wing needed that maintenance, when it broke down at North Island Naval Station, California, Feb. 16.

A four-person Maintenance Recovery Team from McChord Field consisting of two crew chiefs and two hydraulic systems specialists left Feb. 18, with little notice and had one objective, get the aircraft back on its mission.

"The only thing we had on our mind was getting the aircraft fixed as quickly as possible, by the book and on time," said Staff Sgt. Nathan Kuhn, 62nd Maintenance Squadron hydraulic systems craftsman and MRT lead. "We knew it was a problem with the hydraulic reservoir, so we did everything we could to prepare before we landed, so we could get to work as fast as possible."

This particular issue is not a common one, and that was the first time for either of the hydraulic specialists to replace this part.

"This is something that doesn't go bad often, but our best guess at this time was an over pressurization issue," said Senior Airman Jacob Remstrom, 62nd Maintenance Squadron hydraulic systems specialist.

There was no questioning the four airmen's resolve to getting the tasks accomplished. They all went to work as soon as their plane landed at North Island, which was at 8 p.m., and worked until the aircraft was fixed.

"This is my third MRT and it's always a team effort," said Remstrom. "We wouldn't have been able to get it done without the help from the (62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron) guys."

The 62nd AMXS airmen were Staff Sgt. Jeremy Aiumo and Staff Sgt. Tanner Evjene, both are McChord C-17 crew chiefs and were assigned to this MRT to help unload the flare system off the C-17, so the jet could safely be worked on.

"This is when we get to see the real purpose of our mission," said Evjene. "We came down here to get this jet back in the air as quickly as possible so it can get back to its mission doing something that is going to affect a lot of people."

North Island Naval Station may have room to accommodate C-17s on their runway, but they do not have facilitates or properly trained maintenance teams on station to help repair one. The McChord MRT had only the tools and parts they carried with them to fix any problems they would face.

"When you are at a remote location, parts and equipment are not readily available," said Kuhn. "When something doesn't go right you have to adapt and figure it out while still keeping it in the regulations for safety."

"It's about getting the job done quickly, but it's also about getting it done correctly," said Remstrom. "People are going to be flying on this aircraft, it has to be safe. One day I could be on it or my family could be on it, I have to do everything the best I can."

The four airmen for Joint Base Lewis-McChord, went to work as soon as they could and didn't stop until the job was complete. The C-17 was ready to take off in the next day's morning's hours back on its mission with few people even knowing the MRT had been there.

More than 15 civic leaders and community partners from the Puget Sound took an oath to support the men and women of Team McChord and the United States Air Force during an Honorary Commander change-of-command ceremony at the McChord Chapel Support Center Feb. 22., Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The Honorary Commander program is an Air Force public affairs initiative to educate community partners with limited knowledge about the Air Force by teaming them up with commanders at Air Force bases.

This program enables an inside view to life in the Air Force with key leaders, an opportunity which otherwise would not occur.

"It's a very special day and a very meaningful ceremony," said Col. Leonard Kosinski, 62nd Airlift Wing commander. "It's an honor to have you here today. We are full of appreciation for our community partners who have served and bettered the lives of our airmen and their families."

Kosinksi emphasized the significance of the program and the vitality of it.

"You (honorary commanders) have enabled worldwide mobility airlift and made our military stronger through your efforts," Kosinski said. "It's crucial to have an open and cooperative relationship with our community, which is why Team McChord's Honorary Commanders Program is very important to us."

The last time an honorary commander's change of command was conducted on McChord was 2013, when eight new commanders were welcomed in.