MCGHEE TYSON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Tenn.—The Colorado Air National Guard hosted members of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, including Chief Warrant Officer Wajdi Alzubi, chief master sergeant of the RJAF, at the I.G. Brown Training and Education Center, or TEC, July 30-Aug. 1.
As part of the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, the Colorado Air National Guard requested TEC University’s assistance to explore ways to help its partner nation develop its first formal enlisted professional military education.
For Alzubi, the visit was personal. His first trip to the United States was to attend Airman Leadership School at the Lankford Enlisted Professional Military Education Center more than a decade ago. That experience left a lasting impression.
Reflecting on his time at the TEC, he said, “The teaching techniques and professionalism here made the TEC the clear choice for developing our [RJAF] enlisted leaders.”
The state partners chose TEC for this step in establishing formal enlisted training because of TEC’s flexibility, cultural understanding, ability to tailor curriculum to meet partner needs and its reputation for instructor excellence.
“The TEC’s willingness to adapt the instruction and consider language and cultural differences was key,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jeremy Jenkins, Colorado Air National Guard command chief.
Members from TEC-U’s Learning Development team and RJAF noncommissioned officers, or NCOs, engaged in an exchange of ideas, sharing how TEC-U develops, delivers and evaluates curriculum to meet the needs of the Air National Guard.
“We shared practical methods that our partner nation’s NCOs can adapt and implement into their training programs,” said John Erdman, instructional systems specialist at TEC-U.
TEC-U instructors also viewed the event as an opportunity for two-way learning, sharing strategies and adapting to language and cultural differences while gaining insights from the RJAF NCOs.
“Both sides are learning,” Jenkins said. “We’re sharing our methods but also listening to their experiences; that exchange strengthens everyone’s approach to instruction.”
Leaders on all sides say the effort has the potential to grow into a long-term exchange that will benefit the SPP, RJAF and the TEC.
“The partnership doesn’t stop when the visit ends,” Jenkins said. “Feedback from this event will shape future training and ensure we keep meeting each other’s needs.”
For Alzubi, the visit reaffirmed his commitment to building enlisted education in the RJAF.
“NCO development is in international language,” he said. “When we invest in our people, we strengthen the entire force – no matter the country.”
The TEC comprises three divisions: the Chief Master Sergeant Paul H. Lankford Center for Enlisted Professional Military Education, TEC-University and the Mission Support Division, representing all components of the regular Air Force, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command and civil service members who serve together to develop today’s Airmen for tomorrow’s fight.