Photo By Master Sgt. Amber Monio | 1st Lt. Tyler Shoemaker, 225th Air Defense Squadron air battle manager, receives a...... read more read more
As a representative of the Washington Air National Guard, 1st Lt. Tyler Shoemaker, 225th Air Defense Squadron air battle manager, was one of 60 company-grade officers from nine countries selected to attend the 2024 International Junior Officer Leadership Development (IJOLD) Course held at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base and the National Capital Region Aug. 9-16, 2024.
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 IJOLD course took place across multiple locations, beginning at the I.G. Brown Training and Education Center (TEC) in Knoxville, Tenn. There, the students focused on a wide range of topics, including understanding the operational environment, instruments of power, National Defense Strategy (NDS), National Security Strategy (NSS), and the Great Power Competition (GPC).
The 134th Air Refueling Wing at McGhee Tyson ANGB provided the students airlift to Washington D.C. on a KC-135R Stratotanker. The students had the opportunity to view the aerial refueling of multiple F-22 Raptors, which was a significant highlight of the trip and a once in a lifetime experience for many of the international partners.
The students attended a social event hosted by Lt. Gen. John Healy, Chief of the Air Force Reserve, in Mt. Vernon, Va. The National Guard Association of the United States provided further academics, delving into planning for defense, deterrence, and dominance, with a focus on agile combat employment, ready airman training, international operations, and the State Partnership Program.
The students explored the foundational competencies of leading in the operational environment, including trust, change management, and gaining insights from the enlisted perspective from the Command Chief Master Sergeant of Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard.
The course concluded with the IJOLD graduation dinner, hosted by Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, Air National Guard acting director, at the Patton Hall Community Club in Fort Myer, Va. During the dinner, Pirak explained that “we all generally believe in the same things. 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.”
Shoemaker expressed his gratitude for how much the Washington ANG places such significance on the growing strategic value of international relationships and nominating him to participate in the competitive IJOLD course.
“Throughout the course, IJOLD exposed me to an array of leadership tools and provided a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas within a multi-cultural environment,” Shoemaker explained. “One of the highlights was the in-depth discussion surrounding the NDS, NSS, and GPC priorities that are affecting all our NATO partners equally. It was enlightening to learn that many of our allies have embraced the new focus on GPC, and our success in this endeavor will ensure future mission success on the battlefield.”
Shoemaker highlighted the course’s emphasis on the importance of the State Partnership Program and its effectiveness in building relationships with nations around the world.
“Having been deeply involved in SPP lately, it was great to hear from the Chief of International Affairs Division (NGB-J53) on how the efforts we make to bolster our partnerships with Thailand and Malaysia make a difference on a global scale," Shoemaker said. “This achievement of this course and necessity of developing our junior officers really highlights the importance of fostering partnerships and collaboration with our allies to enhance our collective defense capabilities.”
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.
| Date Taken: | 08.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 09.25.2024 12:39 |
| Story ID: | 481732 |
| Location: | ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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