HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – 66th Air Base Group officials held an Airman Leadership School graduation ceremony today at the USS Constitution in Charlestown, Massachusetts, following five weeks of classroom instruction.
With a Navy student attending the course for the first time, school officials held the ceremony at ‘Old Ironsides,’ America’s oldest commissioned warship afloat.
“This class had members from the Air Force, Coast Guard and, for the first time, Navy,” said Senior Master Sgt. Alan Kitler, 66th Comptroller Squadron senior enlisted leader, who was the class mentor and guest speaker for the graduation ceremony. “Each brought their own unique experiences to leading our force; that diversity of thought is exactly what we need to compete with our adversaries.”
Throughout the five weeks of instruction, students learn leadership skills, study the profession of arms, and work to build effective communication strategies before returning to their respective units.
Among the students attending from the 66th Air Base Group was Senior Airman Everly Wilkes.
“The training was an opportunity to learn what is really important as a leader, which is communication and having patience,” said Wilkes, who is the executive assistant to Chief Master Sgt. William Hebb, Hanscom’s command chief.
Following the presentation of graduation certificates, school officials announced the names of students who received awards.
The school’s top award, the John L. Levitow Award, went to Senior Airman Alexis Cardenas, 66th Medical Squadron. 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.
Officials presented the Academic Achievement Award to Wilkes. 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.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Alex Schirling, U.S. Coast Guard, Cape Cod Air Station, Mass., received the Commandant Award. This award goes to the student who displays all the characteristics of a leader.
Other students of Class 22C who completed the course:
Petty Officer 3rd Class Alai Alizo Ibarra, U.S. Navy, USS Constitution
Senior Airman Jacques Charleceus, 66th Comptroller Squadron
Senior Airman Skyler Holzhausen, 439th Maintenance Squadron, Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.
Senior Airman Tristan McKee, 439th Maintenance Squadron, Westover ARB
Senior Airman John O’Neil, Joint Personal Property Shipping Office Northeast
Senior Airman Jayson Page, 66th Security Forces Squadron
Staff Sgt. Blake Smith, 6th Space Warning Squadron, Cape Cod Space Force Station, Mass.
Senior Airman Cyrille Tekamtiako, 66 MDS
Each graduate earned the U.S. Air Force noncommissioned officer professional military education graduation ribbon.