135 Airmen from 15 units graduate satellite NCOA

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Mavi Smith
  • The I.G. Brown Air National Guard Training and Education Center
McGHEE TYSON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Tenn. --  The students of Satellite NCO Academy Class 10-6 wrapped up 14 weeks of training when they walked across the stage during their graduation ceremony at Wilson Hall on the campus of The I.G. Brown Air National Guard Training and Education Center here, June 29.

A distance learning version of the NCO Academy, the satellite program was specifically designed for Airmen who cannot attend the six-week program for whatever reason, but still want the education, experience and credit of attending the course in-residence.

The two-phase program began on March 22, when 135 Airmen from 15 Air National Guard units reported to their home stations for four-hour training sessions, two nights a week. With the help of trained facilitators at their unit, they participated in interactive training lessons broadcast over the Air National Guard's Warrior Network satellite system from the TEC's television studios.

This was followed by a two-week capstone in-residence experience, held June 14-29 at the TEC, and finally, graduation.

The 15 Air National Guard units that participated in the class were: 104th Fighter Wing, Westfield, Mass.; 109th Airlift Wing, Scotia, N.Y.; 110th Fighter Wing, Battlecreek, Mich.; 113th Wing, Joint Base Andrews, Md.; 115th Fighter Wing, Madison, Wis.; 127th Wing, Selfridge ANGB, Mich.; 132nd Fighter Wing, Des Moines, Iowa; 142nd Fighter Wing, Portland, Ore.; 149th Fighter Wing, Lackland AFB, Texas; 151st Air Refueling Wing, Salt Lake City, Utah; 152nd Airlift Wing, Reno, Nev.; 176th Wing, Anchorage, Alaska; 187th Fighter Wing, Montgomery, Ala.; Combat Readiness Training Center, Alpena, Mich.; and Joint Force Headquarters, Milford, Mass.