Bird's Eye View: April is Month of the Edwards Child

  • Published
  • By Col. H. Brent Baker Sr.
  • 95th Air Base Wing commander
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Family is a vital element to the success of the Team Edwards workforce. Each April, we specifically recognize the importance of our children through "Month of the Edwards Child" events. All month long, the 95th Services Division has scheduled events exclusively for Team Edwards' children. 

Some of the activities this year include bowling specials, ice skating, movie trips, horseback riding and a trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain. 

Our families, including our children, support us through long hours, deployments and extended TDYs. Month of the Edwards Child allows us to show our children that we appreciate their sacrifice, support and love.

PME enhances military, civilian careers 

It's common for people, once they graduate from high school or college, to say they will never in a million years go back to school. After going through at least 13 years of grade school and possibly four years of college, this kind of sentiment isn't unusual. 

However, a career in today's Air Force requires us to hit the books. It's called Professional Military Education, or PME. It is also one of the cornerstones of a military member's career development. 

Whether it's Airman Leadership School, the NCO Academy, Air and Space Basic Course or Squadron Officer School, the skills provided by PME courses offer our military -- and in a lot of cases, our civilians -- the knowledge and experience needed to lead our Air Force into the future. 

PME is available and valuable at most points in your career -- from a brand new Airman to a 30-year career officer, or a civilian employee. In fact, as long as I've been in the Air Force, I still look forward to opportunities to keep learning about the finer points of my military profession. 

I've discovered that most people do not want to start PME because it may seem overwhelming. However, I've also discovered that most people, after completing PME, are very glad they took the time to increase their professional knowledge. So, my recommendation is do your PME at every eligibility point whether you are military or civilian. For some key promotions, in particular for the military, PME is mandatory if you want to be promoted. However, don't complete PME for that reason alone, complete PME because it will make you a much more valuable team player. Supervisors should also encourage their people to take the courses although it may come with short-term pain. 

Right now, your manning may be stretched pretty thin, and it may seem like you are too busy to take a course without jeopardizing the mission. However, if you are offered PME, don't hesitate to take it. The knowledge you gain is well worth it.