Career broadening strengthens Airmen

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Phil Dorsch
  • 60th Maintenance Group
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Growing up in my neighborhood meant playing soccer.
 
We played together as a team with the same tough coach for 12 years and always made it to the State Finals.  Our coach made us train year round and required us to join the swim team, run track, and take salsa dance lessons. We did not initially understand our coach's methods but by broadening our experience, we learned new ways to regulate our breathing, increase our speed and stamina, and use quick footwork to run circles around the competition. 

The same holds true for Airmen in today's Air Force.  Broadening your career through additional duties, exchange assignments or a career broadening tour is a great way to further develop yourself and advance your career in ways not possible by remaining with the status quo.

Career-broadening assignments afford Airmen many opportunities to expand their training and knowledge base, develop and apply leadership and problem-solving skills to new challenges and gain a different perspective on situations. They also encourage Airmen to exchange ideas across duty sections, career fields, bases and major commands. These exchanges are vital to improving our work force and work environment.  Many broadening tours also include additional education or training which can be credited toward new certifications or academic degrees.

Today, the Air Force has more opportunities to step outside one's career field for a broadening tour than ever before.  These assignments and duties are a great way to develop professionally and stand out amongst your peers as an Airmen with both depth and breadth of experience. 

Whether you are on active duty, a reservist or a civil servant, enlisted or officer, there are opportunities for almost every career field.  Qualifying enlisted members can broaden their knowledge base through numerous developmental special duties serving as a military training instructor, recruiter or first sergeant. Many support and maintenance personnel can participate in logistics career broadening tours at the depots and medical personnel have numerous specialties available to further broaden and develop their careers. There are also many options for operators such as Phoenix Horizon, Phoenix Reach and Phoenix Mobility.  Furthermore, there are developmental tours with regional and political affairs specialties, the Air Force Institute of Technology and educational assignments that award academic degrees upon completion of the program. 

If you are interested in broadening your horizons, testing your abilities and learning new ways to deal with today's challenges, I would encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and volunteer for a tour outside of your primary career field. The leadership lessons, teamwork, processes, contacts, and education gained from my time in the Logistics Career Broadening Program and tour in the U.S.-Pakistan Security Cooperation Office have strengthened my ability to work through issues in my core AFSC and proved to be a rewarding experience.

For more information on specific opportunities in your own career field, check out the Air Force Portal, the AFPC web site and talk with your supervisor, first sergeant or commander. I would highly recommend taking the opportunity to further develop as a leader by broadening your career and skill sets whenever possible.