Quarter's outstanding Airmen 'brought new course to fruition'

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Mike R. Smith
  • I.G. Brown Training and Education Center
MCGHEE TYSON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Tenn. --  Three Airmen were commended here August 11 for their shared effort toward bringing a new professional military education course on line, among their individual work, as the I.G. Brown Training and Education Center's outstanding Senior NCO, NCO, and Civilian of the Quarter, April-June 2016.

Col. Michael Donovan, commander, announced the awardees' names in an email.

"Please join me in congratulating these members of our outstanding staff on their achievements," said Donovan.

"Without the hard work of these three, our new blended learning ALS course would not have come to fruition as quickly as it did," he said.

The Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter is Senior Master Sgt.  Jason Miller, Distance Learning superintendent and senior EPME instructor for the Chief Master Sergeant Paul H. Lankford Enlisted Professional Military Education Center.

Officials said that Miller "lead a seven member distance learning team and oversaw the development of the Airman leadership school blended learning course, which took the program from concept to operational in seven months and reduced training costs by more than $5,000 per student.  He led a team that converted 72 pages of curriculum, redesigned 160 hours for asynchronous delivery, coordinated 27 academic videos, converted 13 lessons to visual medium, and generated 6.75 hours of blended learning content. He volunteered as the Top III president and organized three professional development and community involvement events as well as two 5K fun runs. He finalized his dual-curriculum qualifications, completed 22 in-service training hours and qualified on 25 lessons, which all ensured the graduation of 129 students."

The Civilian of the Quarter is David Barlow, graphics manager for the Media and Engagement Division, TEC/TV.

Officials said that Barlow "flawlessly directed order-of-the-sword ceremonies for the Air National Guard and the Air Force. He produced 13 Defense Accounting Enterprise Management Systems training videos (eight hours' worth), slashed costs and enabled efficient training for 800 accounting and finance personnel.  He also developed six Airman leadership school blended learning course videos, which were incorporated by the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, Air University, to launch an online initiative. He was a pivotal member of the International NCO Leadership Development administrative team and designed multiple graphic layouts for the upcoming seminar; to include, but not limited to, ID badges, posters, coins and more."

The NCO of the Quarter is Tech. Sgt. Michael Wells, EPME instructor for the Lankford Center.

Officials said that Wells "facilitated more than 80 curriculum hours; one third of those being on camera, satellite Airman leadership school instructor hours. He helped prepare 129 future NCOs for leadership opportunities. He assisted with the new Airman leadership school blended learning course. He edited six modules, 22 lessons and 137 files. He wrote six screen scripts, edited 12 hours of video and ensured course content approval by the Community College of the Air Force and the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, Air University. He also trained for his second half marathon this year - with his first run being the Knoxville marathon's fittest company challenge, where he helped the TEC place third in its division. In his free time he mentored 53 tennis and running students for the Alcoa School District, which added up to more than 77 hours."
 
Quarterly awardees receive recognition at the following commander's call as well as an award plaque, parking privileges and other accolades.