LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- The Home of Herk Nation hosted its first-ever tri-service Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Enhancement Seminar (PES) including Airmen, Sailors and Marines. The three-day PES was held last month at the Professional Development Center and was hosted by Senior Master Sgt. Stanley Cruz, the base’s Career Assistance Advisor.
Seventeen speakers composed of senior leadership and key personnel from around base briefed the attendees on various topics, including effective leadership, personal growth and development and available resources around LRAFB.
The three-day seminar is designed to fill the gap between enlisted professional military education (EPME) courses. PES lessons are targeted to advance the EPME continuum of learning model—these include principles of leadership roles, networking, communication skills, and supervisory qualities.
“This bridges the professional military education (PME) gap between Airman Leadership School and NCOA and gives attendees an opportunity to hone their developing supervisory skills and get more exposure to some of Little Rock Air Force Base’s resources,” Cruz said.
While LRAFB is primarily home to Airmen and Marines, two Sailors were also in attendance—Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Corpsmen Alexis Cordova and Jonathan Cordova, Cruz’s daughter and son-in-law. Attached to Marine units, the couple stopped in Arkansas to visit Senior Cruz and took advantage of the opportunity to gain some PME.
“Seeing different branches in this setting for a full three days was a beautiful thing,” Alexis said. “The insight I gained will likely stick with me for the rest of my career.”
The Marine detachment on LRAFB plans to continue working to facilitate joint-service partnership as well. Having already aided in several Supervisor 101 courses and other PES’s, the two services are continuing to forge a culture of collaboration and camaraderie.
“The Marines that have attended have gained a deeper understanding of what the Air Force mission is and how it develops leaders and encourages growth,” said Gunnery Sgt. Kenneth Long, LRAFB’s Marine Corps Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Detachment Squadron Gunnery Sergeant. “Even as a senior NCO, I’ve been able to learn a lot about how the Air Force operates and I try to incorporate lessons I’ve learned back into our unit.”
This was the first tri-service PES and Cruz hopes it will not be the last.
“This made for some very interesting conversations and points of view about leadership,” Cruz said. “All three services left the seminar with a new appreciation for their sister services and what they do and how they do it.”