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Around Vance
Tradition is for an important member of the new pilot ’ s life to pin on the first set of wings . And so it was , March 29 , following the graduation of Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 24-07 at Vance Air Force Base . ( U . S . Air Force photo / Sarah Smith ) where airmen can share information with each other . She has traveled around the world meeting with airmen from different specialties and learning about Air Force programs and organizations .
With over 200 career fields in the Air Force , Walsh ’ s aim is to bridge the gap between career fields in order to work together to get the Air Force mission done , while ensuring each airman ’ s learning journey is personalized , she said in an interview with AETC Public Affairs .
Her visit to Vance was an up-close look at the Pilot Training Transformation , a significant change in how pilots are produced . The first 17 UPT students to receive their wings under the fresh curriculum graduated from Vance in April 2021 .
Just as the modern take on UPT acknowledges that students learn differently than those even a decade ago , Walsh brings a nontraditional outlook on the approach to learning .
“ The Air Force really wanted somebody who saw things differently ,” she said . “ And they wanted a person who wasn ’ t already steeped in the culture of how they ’ d always done things .”
Walsh holds a doctorate degree in Education Leadership and has been a public servant in both state and federal agencies for the past 30 years . She joined AETC as the chief learning officer in 2020 .
“ It is clear we have outstanding instructors , and we need to remain vigilant to support this continued growth ,” said Walsh . “ We need to continue to improve competency models and identifying empirical measures of competency acquisition or decay .”
As AETC transforms into the Airman Development Command , a significant part will be the creation of an Enterprise Learning Engineering Center of Excellence .
“ This center will help amplify and support the human performance and human-centered aspects of pilot training ,” said Walsh .
It will support the learning continuum of pilots with an emphasis on growing measurable competencies and serve as a clearinghouse to share successful practices across the learning enterprise , she said . The center will provide support to instructors through learning interventions such as gamification to help students retain training .
She noted that the best way to prepare students to maintain interest and develop the skills the Air Force needs is to give them a connection to the mission .
“ We are protecting the air domain and the nation from security threats ,” said Walsh .
Helping students reflect on the mission and notice each day their opportunities to contribute to mission success is key to the learning process , she said .
“ The stronger , smarter and healthier we keep ourselves the better we can meet mission requirements ,” said Walsh . “ Learning is our competitive advantage and to optimize learning we need balanced care for our mind , body and spirit .
“ The war is not won by the one , but by the collective ,” she said . “ Take care of yourselfbe your best , take care of your wingman and collectively create the environment for all to thrive ! It ’ s not easy but it is worth it .”
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