JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --
During the spring 2015 round of the Developmental Special Duty selection process, set to begin in September, the Julius A. Kolb Airman Leadership School here will be looking to fill two key positions through the process.
The school is looking for an Airman in the rank of master sergeant or above to fill the position of ALS commandant, and an Airman in the rank of staff sergeant or above to fill the position of professional military education instructor, commonly referred to as an ALS instructor. Both are four-year positions with reporting dates of July and May 2016, respectively.
Master Sgt. Timur Kuzu, the current 62nd Airlift Wing ALS commandant, said that the successful candidates will have excellent people skills and be energetic, passionate about the Air Force, motivated, and willing to take personal ownership of the success or failure of the students.
"We're looking for people who believe what they're teaching and are proud to wear that uniform," said Kuzu. "This job is not about us, the staff - it's about the students."
Kuzu added that candidates need to be dedicated and willing to often work long hours.
Tech. Sgt. James Lee, who has been a PME instructor at the school for 2 1/2 years, said being an instructor can be mentally exhausting.
"This job takes more out of me than any other job I've had," said Lee, an aerial porter by trade. "When I was working on a problem on the flight line, I could pass it off to the next shift if I couldn't solve it right away."
The job is not shift work, he added. The instructors must take care of the students and there is no one at the end of the day to hand off to.
However, he said, the job is very rewarding.
"I love it," Lee said. "I immediately get to see the reward of my efforts. It's great when I get a student who has had a confused career up to this point, then to see them understand where they messed up and learn what it takes to be a productive Airman. It makes me feel like we are the gatekeepers of the NCO corps."
Airmen who are interested in becoming a PME instructor have an opportunity to participate in an internship at the school to get a feel for whether the job is really for them. The internship is a five-week program, offered only when the school is fully staffed, in which one Airman will be put through the rigors of instructor life.
"We show them how to manage a class," said Lee. "We have them teach lessons to the staff as if we were a class of students, and we try to make them feel a bit of the stress of the job."
Additionally, the intern takes responsibility for putting together the wing ALS graduation ceremony.
Speaking specifically about the commandant position, Kuzu said that the ideal candidate will have strong abilities to develop a team, and have a strong desire to develop the students into successful NCOs.
"It's all about developing the team and identifying each staff member's strengths," said Kuzu. "You must also be proactive in dealing with students' issues. If you're reactive, people's careers can be affected."
Kuzu said the role of the commandant is not just that of a superintendent.
"I'm also the fourth instructor," said Kuzu. "I can go in and teach a lesson anytime I want to."
And he often does, he added.
Airmen who are interested in filling one of these positions at the school should speak with their unit leadership. Candidates must be recommended by their leadership through the vectoring processes before being considered for a position at the school.
For those who are interested, Lee has some advice.
"Anyone considering this job needs to be doing it for the right reasons," he said. "Do it to better the NCO corps, and the rewards will come naturally."