Gmytrasiewicz encourages graduates to 'take care of your troops'

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Airman Leadership School saw its latest class of soon-to-be NCOs graduate Nov. 20 during a ceremony at the Minuteman Commons attended by friends, family and senior leaders.

By completing the five-week course, ALS Class 16A, comprised of 11 senior airmen and one U.S. Coast Guard petty officer, took the first step in their professional military education.

The guest speaker was Maj. Andrew L. Gmytrasiewicz, 66th Comptroller Squadron commander, and a 1996 graduate of ALS prior to his commissioning as a second lieutenant in 2002.

"[ALS] gave me the tools and support to delve into the supervisory realm and I've been building on those experiences ever since," he said to the graduates. "Whether it's writing an awards package, letter of recommendation, decoration or performance report, you will be expected to take care of your troops and hold them accountable. What all that boils down to is taking care of your people."

He went on to discuss how important it is to invest time in those they will soon lead.

"As you start on your path to leading and supervising, you are inheriting an incredible responsibility," Gmytrasiewicz said. "ALS has given you the tools to become leaders and supervisors. Use these tools, continue to hone your skills, learn from your experiences and develop and take care of our most precious resource-our people."

The PME class is a five-week course designed to develop junior enlisted members into effective front-line supervisors. The curriculum focuses on leadership abilities and effective communication.

During the ceremony, ALS instructors recognized three students as top performers.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Amanda M. Dietzen, U.S. Coast Guard Base Boston, was awarded the John L. Levitow Award. This award is presented 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 PME student.

The Academic Achievement Award recipient was Senior Airman Adam D. Roach, 42nd Aerial Port Squadron, Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. This award is presented to the top student who achieves the highest summative scores throughout the class and who displays all characteristics of an effective leader. They also must have fostered teamwork within the training environment.

Senior Airman Jennifer J. Grier, 66th Medical Squadron, was named the Commandant Award winner. This award is not based on academic performance but presented to a student who displays all the characteristics of an effective leader. The ALS commandant is the final determining factor on who receives this award.

Other students that completed the course:

Senior Airman Nicholas A. Alexander, Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome Labs, Rome, New York
Senior Airman Sabine O. Bien-Aime, 66th Air Base Group, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
Senior Airman Jeffrey R. Bordonaro, 439th Maintenance Squadron, Westover ARB, Mass.
Senior Airman Zachary O. Bowles, 439th Maintenance Squadron, Westover ARB, Mass.
Senior Airman Keith T. Germain, 42nd Aerial Port Squadron, Westover ARB, Mass.
Senior Airman Jasmine L. Hendrickson, 66th Medical Squadron, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
Senior Airman Lawrence T. Laryea, 64th Air Refueling Squadron, Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire.
Senior Airman Dana P. Moffett, 66th Comptroller Squadron, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
Senior Airman Kadeem T. Smith, 66th Medical Squadron, Hanscom AFB, Mass.

Each graduate is awarded the U.S. Air Force NCO PME graduation ribbon.