Commentary - Education, CCAF get special emphasis in Materiel Command

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• GENERAL DONALD J. HOFFMAN

Education, CCAF get special emphasis in Materiel Command

Posted 1/3/2011

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Commentary by Gen. Donald Hoffman
Commander, Air Force Materiel Command

1/3/2011 - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- On Jan. 1, AFMC began its "Year of the Community College of the Air Force" campaign. John Buchan, a 20th century writer and politician, once said, "The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already." Therefore, I challenge each of you to reap the benefits of formal education during the new year.

AFMC's YoCCAF will emphasize the need for enlisted Airmen to earn college degrees, specifically a CCAF degree. Currently, 24 percent of AFMC's enlisted Airmen have earned degrees through CCAF, and our goal is to increase this by 10 percent in 2011. With 67 degrees in 5 general areas, CCAF provides career-specific education for enhanced performance as technicians and noncommissioned officers.

YoCCAF will employ a direct approach. Leaders at each base will designate mentors to contact Airmen face-to-face to share the importance of education in their own lives and the benefits to the entire Air Force. Although YoCCAF will target E-4 to E-7, I encourage all Airmen to seek additional education regardless of rank.

Formal education after high school is a path to promotion and personal development for enlisted Airmen, and a commodity highly valued in all Air Force members. Even the wisest mind has something more to learn.

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Roy said, "Airmen are to be trained, educated, and have the experience (depth) to carry out the mission."

Our Air Force is confronted with great challenges and considerable fiscal constraints, but the solutions are right here. They are in the new recruits, in the Airmen we supervise, and inside each one of us. Through continuing education we can unlock ideas to create efficiencies, conserve valuable resources and inspire innovation.

Whether for promotion, qualification for a special duty or personal improvement, I encourage all Airmen to make time for education in the new year. Add educational goals to your list of new year resolutions for 2011 and keep learning. The future of the Air Force depends on it!

Comments

1/24/2011 7:35:32 AM ET
After having read the comments left already so as to not over drive the point in one direction or the other I have to say that I think the initiative itself is actually admirable and could be quite fruitful. The CCAF is definately in some respects more about getting the ball rolling than just acquiring a piece of paper on the wall. The same as goal orientation it invokes more airmen to be proactive and as a blanket move this YoCCAF will put out enough information that airmen of all ranks and abilities can have the information even more readily available. A prominent thing in the air force is alot of hear say and though it IS the AIRMEN's job to motivate himselfherself to achieve the schooling required for a better future this could really answer alot of questions and provide more solid information that may not be widely known

JF, HI

1/12/2011 5:48:48 PM ET
I think the approach is completely wrong and is contrary to what the AF needs. While continuing education is important and the CCAF program is designed to increase abilities in leaders spending all these resources and energies is misdirected. We've been told we will not do more with less yet now we want to form committees recruit mentors and track metrics. That takes people away from primary tasks like CDCs OJT and just making sure folks are out there doing the mission to standards. It's an individual responsibility to obtain a CCAF. As of today you won't go beyond MSgt if you want to emphasize it more make it so folks won't go beyond SSgt without a CCAF. Just quit wasting resources and people's time on trying to make leadership feel better about themselves. For the record I have mine.

Ricky Keil, Offutt AFB

1/7/2011 4:31:41 PM ET
The CCAF is a building block and should be only the begining of continued education. The CCAF degree is an easy first to getting your bachelor's, then your master's degree. What people do not realize or know about is that once you have your CCAF, many military-friendly universities will take that as your first 2 yrs of college, then put you on the fast track to get your 4yr degree. What this means for those young bucks out there is that you can then apply for OTS or make it easier to get hired once you get out. I was in a very busy career field and knocked out my CCAF and bachelor's in 6 yrs. That is with 2 deployments and a wife and kids. It's a matter of want, desire and motivation.

Luke Degreegetter, Japan

1/7/2011 1:13:02 PM ET
Weatherman: Thats a pretty ignorant statement about a piece of paper on the wall. Regardless of what degree it is or where it came from, it's still a degree that equals money on the outside. Read the U.S. Census Bureau 2011 Statistical Abstract under Income Expenditures Poverty and Wealth table 702: Average Earnings of Year Round Full-time workers by educational attainment. Furthermore, you cannot tell me a CCAF or any other associates degree will not get someone anywhere on the outside, because I made it with mine and it wasn't under the government civilian sector. I would hate to be an Airman under your supervision.

Steve, Tampa

1/7/2011 10:12:46 AM ET
If the Air Force wants to increase the education level of the enlisted force there is an easy way to do it. Give promotion points for education. So many points for an associates degree, so many points for a bachelor degree, and so many points for an advanced degree.

Jerry, Oklahoma

1/5/2011 9:31:57 PM ET
PB, What proof do you have that one is more competitive in the civilian work force with a CCAF? I would believe your statement true in the early 90s when you could get somewhere with an AAAS but today a BABS won't get you a job often times. The only time I have seen the CCAF work for civilian employment is an individual who retired came back as a GS and it was a requirement. Your statement sounds like typical USAF rhetoric. I do agree it helps while you are in, but once you get out its just a piece of paper hanging on the wall.

weatherman, CONUS

1/5/2011 5:25:20 PM ET
If you want to get promoted beyond master sergeant, a CCAF degree is mandatory. I'd say that makes it worth talking about. Moreover, you're more competitive in the civilian workforce if you have a CCAF degree or two versus not having any degree at all. Supervisors are part of the equation but every avenue of publicity helps.

PB, US

1/5/2011 9:58:53 AM ET
This is a waste of time and money. CCAF is important I have mine already. However, this campaign just makes the CCAF concept overbearing and will turn people off - too much of the same information is BAD. It's like safety DUI and suicide briefings - we don't listen because they are given 568 times a week. This is the job of a supervisor and is covered in the AF Benefits Fact Sheet which is required to be covered by the supervisor during feedback and AFI 36-2618. The Little Brown Book covers education and CCAF throughout. If you don't think supervisors are doing their job hold them accountable - don't do their job for them

SSgt V, USAF Base

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