In the
renewal of a time-honored tradition designed to enhance officer professional
development, 155 First Assignment Instructor Pilots from across Air Education
and Training Command gathered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph June 26-27 for
the “FAIP-a-Palooza”.
First
assignment instructor pilots, known as FAIPs, from Sheppard and Laughlin Air
Force Bases in Texas; Vance Air Force Base, Okla., and Columbus Air Force Base,
Miss., attended the two-day conference at the base nicknamed the “West Point of
the Air.”
The
conference, hosted by the 12th Flying Training Wing, is designed specifically
to give FAIPs access to mentorship and professional military education from
senior leaders, while at the same time, setting aside time for cross-talk
sessions with fellow instructors.
“Our primary
goal in hosting this event is two-fold,” said Capt. Mark Thompson, 99th Flying
Training Squadron safety officer and “FAIP-a-Palooza” organizer. “We provide mentoring opportunities to our
instructor cadre they might not otherwise see, as well as increasing FAIPs’
training tool kits.”
From a
development perspective, ensuring FAIPs get professional military education
early and often is a top priority of leaders.
“This
conference is a high impact opportunity,” said Col. David Drichta, 12th
Operations Group commander and a former T-37 Tweet FAIP himself.
“These young
officers influence our future aviators in so many ways...we owe FAIPs the
chance to grow professionally. Getting
them invested in the art of human capital early gives them more time to pay it
back.”
Career
advice from both former and current leaders was presented during a dinner event
held at the Parr Club.
Speakers
included Gen. Robin Rand, commander of Air Education and Training Command, and
retired Col. Barry Bridger, a former Vietnam prisoner of war.
Bridger
relayed his experiences at the Hanoi Hilton after being shot down in his F-4
Phantom in January, 1967, and how he persevered and stayed true to his nation
despite enduring both physical and psychological abuse at the hands of his
captors in North Vietnam.
"Each
prisoner of war was from the American culture, American virtue and raised with
American values," Bridger said. "This made us unwilling to let each
other down, because when it felt like we lost everything else, we had only duty
left and that was to take care of each other."
Later in the
weekend, Col. Jeffrey Smith, Profession of Arms Center of Excellence director,
was scheduled to speak to the company-grade officers about the importance of
staying committed to being a professional Airman and being dedicated to the Air
Force core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in
all we do.
Thompson, a
former T-1 Jayhawk FAIP at Vance AFB, also talked about how the conference
provided attendees the chance to look around and avoid "stove-piping” in
regards to how they view the way their particular base conducts training.
“Giving the
FAIPs a chance to expand their horizons beyond their current view is a good
thing,” Thompson said. “We want them to connect with one another and build
their professional contact network.”
For 1st Lt.
Chris Tobiere, a T-1 instructor pilot assigned to the 86th Flying Training
Squadron at Laughlin AFB in Del Rio, Texas, getting the chance to meet and
interact with so many fellow FAIPs and listen to the experiences of others made
the conference special.
“Being a
(FAIP) means you have a lot of responsibility,” Tobiere said. “We are entrusted
to train the next generation of pilots and being here and getting the time to
learn from others’ trials and tribulations really goes a long way.”
Tobiere was
also impressed with the chance to interact with senior leaders who had FAIP
assignments on their resumes.
“Being a
FAIP certainly can lead you down a path to a successful career,” he said. “You only have to look at General Rand or
(Air Force Chief of Staff) General Welsh to see how far you can go.”