AFMC Command News

Orientation course teaches Air Force mission to civilians

  • Published
  • By Maranda Rimes
  • 96th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Civilian employees at Eglin now have the chance to learn what their military counterparts learn in basic training: Air Force mission, goals and values.

A dozen civilian Eglin employees received completion certificates and pins after completing a newly offered orientation course May 15.

Training is mandatory for new Air Force civilian employees and optional for current civilian employees.

“The class was a good interactive class,” said Kevin Diggs, 96th Communications Group aerospace engineer and course graduate. “The class reinforced Air Force core values and used scenario exercises to help us apply the content to everyday life.”

The course consists of four modules given in an online format, and one “Air Force core values” module taught in a classroom environment.

“The online portion of the class takes anywhere between a half an hour and an hour depending who you are,” said Scott Norwood, with the 96th Mission Support Squadron. “The second part of the class lasts about a half a day.”

Mr. Norwood said he was happy with the length of the class and the amount of information taught in the course.

During the face-to-face class, students were broken up into groups and given different scenarios, which provoked their moral judgments, and tested their military knowledge.

The groups were then asked to discuss whether or not they believed the subject in the scenario made the right choice, what impact the situation would have on the organization’s mission, and how they personally would handle the situation.

Opinions differed throughout the groups. Several students agreed their first impulse was not always the response mandated by the Air Force.

Scenarios varied from what to do with inadvertently accruing leave, to how to handle mortuary affairs such as whether or not to return pornographic photographs found in the servicemembers personal effects to the deceased loved ones.

“It was interesting to see how different everyone’s opinion was on the scenarios given,” said Tony Migliore, 96th Mission Support Squadron management analyst. “I enjoyed the class and would recommend it to other civilian employees who want to learn more about the Air Force values.”