Transforming Basic Developmental Education: The Future Role of the Mentor in Company Grade Officer Professional Development

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Today's Air Force faces manning cuts and constrained budgets, while the global war on terror continues to produce an extremely high operations tempo. Many in the Air Force believe that these force shaping initiatives and empty coffers constitute a serious crisis, but the real danger to the Air Force institution might be lurking in the shadows. The actual crisis might lie in the bedrock of the Air Force officer corps with its Company Grade Officers (CGOs) . . . the lieutenants and captains. At any given time, USAF CGOs are conducting military operations in over 100 countries worldwide. The challenges they face are immense, and the nation expects and needs them to perform at the highest levels of excellence each and every day. Unfortunately, today's CGOs are not adequately prepared to deal with the leadership challenges they are encountering in a more complex warfighting environment. CGOs in 2007 have greatly increased developmental needs compared to those of their pre-9/11 counterparts. They must be tactical leaders of a leaner, smarter, more lethal team. Current Basic Developmental Education (BDE) programs accomplish much, but they are not enough. The increased developmental needs of today's CGOs cannot be satisfied with two schools, the Air and Space Basic Course (ASBC) and the Squadron Officer School (SOS). Combined, these two programs only provide eleven weeks of Professional Military Education (PME) out of an officer's first nine to ten years of service. Frequent deployments, early Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) leadership opportunities, and a worldwide scope requiring depth in culture and language have presented young officers with unique challenges.