An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Aug. 29, 2024

Air Guard Hosts Junior Officer Leadership Development Course

By Lt. Col. Amber Schatz, Air National Guard

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Air National Guard hosted 60 company-grade officers from nine countries for the annual International Junior Officer Leadership Development Course at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base and in the National Capital Region Aug. 9-16.

The annual course brings together junior officers from around the world to learn, engage and discuss security issues. This year’s theme was “Building Enduring Advantage – Preparing You to Operate in Contested Environments.”

“The foundation of building an enduring advantage is done through relationships and partnerships,” said Col. Sherri Hrovatin, Air National Guard adviser to the International Air Reserve Symposium and IJOLD. “The students we have brought together are some of the best in their respective force. High-caliber officers from nine nations will discuss the national security strategies and develop how their respective nations use their capabilities to understand the international environment.”

The Air National Guard was selected to host the 2024 IJOLD at the 2023 International Air Reserve Symposium. The course curriculum was designed to build an enduring advantage and to be ready, in all facets of military life, for anything the future holds.

Events and discussions ranged from the great power competition with China and Russia to the State Partnership Program and leading Airmen with care.

“Being a part of IJOLD affirms as a junior officer my thoughts and feelings about our partnership with our international friends and allies,” said Capt. Jesper Kuppen, Royal Netherlands Air Force Reserve. “I recognize through our respective cultural lens that we all share the same core values and commitment to shared strategic objectives. IJOLD fosters that allied bond and confidence as creating enduring friendships.”

The week ended with a graduation ceremony hosted by Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, acting director, Air National Guard.

“We all generally believe in the same things,“ said Pirak. “We believe in the right of a country and its borders to be sovereign and to determine the trajectory of our own countries. [The course] is about like-minded countries coming together and building enduring advantages. The more we focus on our similarities, the more we build a network of strength together.

The Air Force Reserve Command-sponsored IJOLD program began in 1994 at the NATO school in Oberammergau, Germany, with 18 participants from five countries. Since then, the annual event has expanded to include more than 60 students with briefings on international leadership, team-building, cultural diversity, international relations and cross-cultural mobilization issues. The National Guard began sending participants in 2012.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. service members pose for a group photo after offloading toys on Marine Corps Air Station New River, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, Dec. 3, 2024.  The delivery is part of a Toys for Tots delivery supported by Marine Aircraft Group 49 to deliver over 4,000 toys to families affected by Hurricane Helene.
New York Airmen Bring Holiday Cheer to Hurricane Victims While Training
By Staff Sgt. Rebekah Wilson, | Dec. 6, 2024
STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.Y. – Airmen from the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift Wing helped out Santa Clause by delivering over 4,000 toys earmarked for North Carolina kids whose families are recovering...

Participants in the Toxic Swell exercise train for CBRN warfare Aug. 5, 2024, in Oahu, Hawaii. Toxic Swell 2024 brought together military personnel from across the forces to prepare for any threat in the Indo-Pacific region.
Air Guard Deploys for Toxic Swell Joint Training Exercise
By Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Perez, | Aug. 28, 2024
OAHU, Hawaii - The Air National Guard, the U.S. Marine Corps and international partners enhanced chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense capabilities during the two-week Toxic Swell exercise.In the face of...

From left: U.S. Air Force Gen. Duke Pirak, acting director, Air National Guard; Senior Airman Gavin Woken,  121st Air Refueling Wing, Ohio National Guard; Master Sgt. Haley Rankin of the Western Air Defense Sector, Washington Air National Guard; Senior Master Sgt. Alejandra Rosales,  195th Wing, California Air National Guard; Master Sgt. Diana Nogiec, 110th Wing, Michigan National Guard; and Chief Master Sgt. Lisa Perry, interim command chief, Air National Guard pose for a group photo during the culmination of the Outstanding Airmen of the Year awards ceremony at the Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, July 26, 2024. The ceremony was part of Focus on the Force Week 2024—an annual, week-long event hosted by Air National Guard senior enlisted leadership designed to highlight professional development and honor the achievements of the enlisted corps’ top performing members.
Outstanding Guard Airmen Recognized During Focus on the Force
By Master Sgt. Chelcee Arnold, | July 29, 2024
Joint Base Andrews, MD – Four exemplary Guardsmen were celebrated as Outstanding Airmen of the Year at a ceremony July 26th.Maj. Gen. Duke A. Pirak, acting director of the Air National Guard, and Chief Master Sgt. Lisa E...