RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — A center dedicated to training Air Force leaders how to operate in an expeditionary environment was activated during a ceremony last week.
The Expeditionary Leadership Program is meant to give mid-level officers and enlisted airmen the tools they need to deploy more effectively, said Col. Richard Weathers, who officiated the ceremony. Weathers commands the 38th Combat Support Wing, the newest wing in U.S. Air Forces in Europe.
The leadership program is managed by members of the 38th Combat Support Center. Two training programs already have taken place at the center, located at the 435th Construction and Training Squadron’s compound at Ramstein. A new class starts next week.
Col. Charles Weis assumed command of the 38th CSC at a ceremony on Thursday.
“I believe the [center] will better prepare our mid-level leaders to perform in deployed locations,” Weiss said in an Air Force news release. “We’ll continue to gather lessons learned from Operation Iraqi Freedom and ongoing operations to improve our curriculum and field training exercises.”
USAFE airmen will attend courses at the new center before their Aerospace Expeditionary Force rotations, Weis said. In addition, they’ll participate in field training exercises that mimic real-world events, such as mortar attacks and airplane crashes.
Other Air Force specialties, in fields such as intelligence and logistics, also will be brought in to participate in the scenarios, he said.
Allied nations also may eventually send troops to the center.
