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Members of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Operations School traveled to Yokota Air Base to host the Air Advisor A course, Sept. 23-27, to equip Airmen with essential skills for engaging with partner nations in support of U.S. National Security Strategy objectives.
An air advisor is a designated individual responsible for imparting professional knowledge and skills to personnel in partner nations. These advisors assess, train, and guide foreign military forces to enhance their capabilities in critical areas.
“An air advisor is what we call a warrior diplomat,” said Shane Shugart, U.S. Air Force EOS course director. “They facilitate interactions at the tactical level that have far reaching impacts on a global scale.”
The Air Advisor A course provides foundational abilities to Airmen who may have interactions with partner nations in support of U.S. interest. Tactics imposed throughout the course include cross-cultural communication and negotiation skills, how to effectively use interpreters and an understanding of broad religious and cultural contexts.
“The big thing here is to fill a gap for Airmen who might not necessarily be going to an advising unit, but may still be exposed to working directly with a partner nation in some fashion,” said Shugart. “We want to give these Airmen the interpersonal skills involved with being an advisor, like knowing how to approach and respond to some of the cues that they might not necessarily understand being Americans in a foreign environment.”
The curriculum emphasizes situational awareness, strategic communication, and ethical considerations in international engagements. Furthermore, case studies of past missions provide participants with practical insights into the challenges and successes experienced by former advisors.
“Relationship building is absolutely critical,” said Donald Ritchie, 421st Combat Training Squadron Central Command subject matter expert. “Technical skills are important, but the ability to establish and nurture relationships is what will lead to lasting partnerships. Knowing your place in that culture is going to enhance that ability to build those relationships so they keep asking us to come back.”
The Department of Defense is focusing on building and maintaining mutually-beneficial alliances and partnerships to face the developing challenges of today’s geopolitical environment. By cultivating air advisor competencies, the course instills a comprehensive understanding of the importance of long-term relationships that contribute to global security and stability.
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.08.2024 00:41 |
| Story ID: | 482713 |
| Location: | YOKOTA AIR BASE, TOKYO, JP |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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