Wing Enrichment Program: Sharing the mission

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Megumi J. Voight
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
A group of company grade officers at Altus AFB came together to design and execute a program that has proven itself to be an impactful leadership experience.

The Wing Enrichment Program, which began in November 2013, is a fun, educational experience that exposes participants to different missions around base. The program asks a squadron to volunteer in hosting a group of approximately ten officers for a day. During this day, the officers experience the squadron's mission.

Inspired by U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Lanier, 54th Air Refueling Squadron commander, the mission of the program is to provide officers with a broader leadership perspective. Since the start of the program, four units have hosted an event, including the 97th Operations Group, the 97th Medical Group, the 97th Mission Support Group and the 97th Air Mobility Wing Staff Agencies.

"To make it happen, we called on the executive council and the Company Grade Officer Council to gather more feedback on implementing a plan," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Brian Biggerstaff, 97th OG executive officer and point of contact for the Wing Enrichment Program. "We went through the Company Grade Officer Council to find points of contact from each group who plan the sessions and enlist participants for each session. Various members of the Company Grade Officer Council have been integral in making the program a success."

The most recent event of the series was hosted by the Altus AFB Wing Staff Agencies on March 15. During this event, attendees were able to engage with representatives from public affairs, comptroller squadron, area defense counsel, inspector general, judge advocate, the Airman Resilience Center and the sexual assault response coordinator. The event culminated with a lunch, at which U.S. Air Force Maj. Samantha Haberlach, 97th Comptroller Squadron commander, and U.S. Air Force Maj. Jared Tanner, 97th AMW director of staff, were able to provide mentorship to the officers in attendance.

"The Wing Enrichment Program is a great way for company grade officers on Altus AFB to step out of their work centers and see what their peers do," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Angela Petersen, 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron director of operations. "This opportunity allows CGOs to gain a better appreciation for the daily missions across the base. This in turn can help them to not only bring their newfound information back to their own work center, but also build a network of CGOs from different career fields."

Next quarter, the maintenance directorate will host a wing enrichment event in order to share the unit's mission. Look for announcements about this opportunity in May 2014.