ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Airmen from the 97th Force Support Squadron formal training section hosted a developmental special duty fair at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, March 2, 2023, to educate Airmen on career-broadening opportunities.
Developmental special duties are jobs that take Airmen from their primary career field and place them in specialized jobs required by the Air Force, including military training instructor, first sergeant, and recruiting.
“The DSD fair was set up because of difficulties with recruitment and making factual information available from experienced people,” said Tech. Sgt. Taylor Lansdon, 97th FSS formal training section noncommissioned officer in charge. “We wanted to clarify any misconceptions about what DSDs are and allow Airmen to talk, get a ‘day in the life’ perspective, and help others decide if they are suitable for their lives and goals.”
One of Lansdon’s goals in assembling the fair was to invite AAFB Airmen who have previously served in a DSD to speak on their experience in the role and provide guidance to others considering a similar path. Master Sgt. Dylan King, 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels information service center section chief, formerly served as a professional military education instructor.
“Serving as a PME instructor helped teach me the value of development, and I push all my troops to focus on that,” he said. “It helped me learn the importance of translating information both up and down, as well as what the Air Force needs us to do collectively, regardless of our career field’s requirements. I can explain why everyone is important.”