HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Airman Leadership School officials held a virtual graduation ceremony here for 12 junior enlisted members Nov. 5.
The five-week professional military education course prepares students to become first-line supervisors.
“ALS was a challenging and unforgettable experience,” said Senior Airman Richard Graham, 66th Security Forces Squadron. I'm looking forward to applying what I learned and helping lead the next generation of Airmen.”
During the virtual class, students attended lessons via Zoom and completed all course work online.
“Even though ALS was held through Zoom, I very much enjoyed the experience,” said Staff Sgt. Kinya Woods, a member of the 66th Force Support Squadron Patriot Honor Guard. “It is one that I won't forget and I have learned a lot.
Chief Master Sgt. Justin Geers, 66 SFS manager, was the guest speaker for the ceremony.
“Over the course of the past few weeks, I had the opportunity to be the class mentor,” he said. “I realized more and more that these amazing twelve leaders were actually mentoring me. They opened my eyes to new and different perspective, things that I never would have thought or considered.”
During the ceremony, school officials announced the names of three Airmen who received awards.
The school’s top award, the John L. Levitow Award, went to Senior Airman Matthew Demers, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Detachment 12. This award goes to the student who achieves the highest overall standing from a combination of academic scores, performance evaluation and leadership qualities. It's the highest honor awarded to an enlisted professional military education student.
The Academic Achievement Award went to Senior Airman Nolan Ducette, 452nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, March Air Reserve Base, California. This award goes to the student who achieves the highest summative scores throughout the class and who displays characteristics of an effective leader. The recipient also must have fostered teamwork within the training environment.
Marine science technician Julia Kehoe, Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, received the Commandant Award. This award goes to the student who displays all the characteristics of a leader. Once all other factors are considered, the ALS commandant renders the final judgment on who receives this award.
Other students who completed the course:
Electronics Technician Third Class Tyler Campos, Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, Maine
Senior Airman Richard Graham, 66th Security Forces Squadron
Senior Airman Autumn Gregory, 138th Fighter Wing, Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma
Senior Airman Haylee Guay, 6th Space Warning Squadron, Cape Cod Air Force Station, Mass.
Senior Airman Alyssa Hammock, 187th Security Forces Squadron, Dannelly Field, Alabama
Senior Airman Rileigh Schickel, 452nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, March Air Reserve Base
Senior Airman Morgan Stevens, 66th Medical Squadron
Senior Airman Alexandra Tactay, 452nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, March Air Reserve Base
Each graduate earned the U.S. Air Force NCO PME graduation ribbon.