Photo By Master Sgt. Jessica Wilson | Airman Carson Hobbs, a geospatial intelligence analyst, with the 123rd Intelligence...... read more read more
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EBBING AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ark. — The 188th Wing’s Student Flight Program has distinguished itself among 90 Air National Guard units, ranking in the top three for producing BMT honor graduates. This achievement highlights the success of a revamped curriculum focused on leadership development, physical fitness, and foundational Air Force knowledge.
Earning the title of Air Force Basic Military Training (BMT) honor graduate requires exceptional performance across all training domains. Trainees must score at least 90 percent on written exams, pass all inspections, be recommended by their Military Training Instructor and school commander. Male trainees must meet the fitness test requirements, which includes a 1.5-mile run in under 9:30, a minimum of 55 push-ups, 60 sit-ups, and five pull-ups. Female trainees are required to make a minimum 1.5-mile run under 12:00, 32 pushups, 55 sit-ups and two pull-ups.
Led by Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge Tech Sgt. Tyler Frisby, a cyber systems operations technician with the Intelligence Support Squadron, and Tech Sgt. Eric Blackman, an intelligence analyst with the 288th Intelligence Squadron, the program welcomed Staff Sgt. Julio Luna, a 188th Wing recruiter, to the leadership team in January 2025.
Before Frisby and Blackman assumed leadership in February 2024, the program was managed by a single leader, resulting in high burnout. Recognizing this, Frisby introduced a student flight readiness tracker and expanded the leadership team to prevent burnout.
“In the past, everyone was disconnected. Supervisors and offices across the wing duplicated efforts. The tracker fixed this, putting everyone on the same page,” said Frisby.
Drawing on his IT expertise, Frisby developed user-friendly tools to provide wing leadership with a comprehensive overview of each trainee’s readiness for BMT. With ongoing delays in securing BMT dates across the Air National Guard and 45 percent of the 188th Wing’s Student Flight members requiring Top Secret clearances, the readiness tracker delivers real-time updates on security clearance status, physical fitness, and administrative requirements, such as Government Travel Card completion.
“I took the existing tracking tools and made them more automated and collaborative, creating a product that can be used across the base,” Frisby explained.
With the tracker in place, Frisby and Blackman focused on developing a robust curriculum.
“Our goal was to build leaders and prepare people for basic training by equipping them with the skills to be mentally, emotionally, and physically strong,” Blackman said.
Blackman also emphasized fitness. He created a tracking system to ensure consistent monitoring of trainees’ progress. The tracker also includes tailored training plans to support those needing additional preparation.
According to a former student flight member, Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Heithold, a 123rd cryptological analyst and reporter, the investment paid off.
“Student Flight helped me become a BMT honor graduate by conducting PT tests every drill,” said Heithold. “It taught me that even when I felt I couldn’t make the run in the summer heat, I could push through.”
In addition to fitness, Student Flight members are immersed in military life through structured activities, including classroom instruction, marching, leadership exercises, and hands-on experiences like KP duty, chow hall procedures, reporting statements, bed making, and early morning reveille. To foster teamwork and physical fitness, students participate in high-energy challenges such as tug-of-war, bucket relays, and human chess. These exercises build camaraderie, develop leadership under pressure, and cultivate a mission-focused mindset.
Frisby also introduced leadership roles within the program, using color-coded name tags to identify recruits and signify rank. Blue tags represent new recruits, green tags denote Non-Commissioned Officer equivalents, yellow tags indicate Senior Non-Commissioned Officer equivalents, and red tags mark those commissioning.
“The program’s objective is to develop Airmen who take initiative, want to better themselves, and give students something to strive for,” Frisby said.
To advance in rank, students must complete Government Travel Card training, submit clearance paperwork, and score above 70% on fitness assessments—all tracked via the readiness tracker.
Airman 1st Class Miguel Alfonzo, a 188th Wing Civil Engineer heavy equipment operator and former Student Flight Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, credits the program for his growth.
“The leadership program gave me confidence and taught me how to lead, communicate, and manage without being overbearing,” Alfonzo said. “When I made mistakes, Sergeants Frisby and Blackman guided me to reflect and improve, helping me think like a leader.”
The revamped curriculum has yielded impressive results. In Fiscal Year 2024-2025, there were 11 honor graduates from the 188th Wing.
Looking ahead, Frisby envisions a bolder future. “The program will grow with greater consolidation across squadrons, more interaction with supervisors, and enhanced networking,” said Frisby. “I want Airmen to take on leadership roles with productivity and empowerment, innovating for a better 188th Wing. And I want us to be number one in BMT honor graduates!”
| Date Taken: | 04.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.22.2025 08:58 |
| Story ID: | 495840 |
| Location: | FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 573 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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