JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Are you an Airman looking to jumpstart your Air Force career? Maybe you don't know where to start. The Professional Development Center located in the Education and Training Building at 1413 Arkansas Road is here to help.
There are several programs and resources available for Joint Base Andrews Airmen to provide guidance and instruction toward further education and professional development.
"The Professional Development Center is catered specifically toward the active duty enlisted members, "said Senior Master Sgt. Tamar S. Dennis, 11th Force Support Squadron career assistance advisor.
The PDC has a number of resources, one of which being the First Term Airman's Center instructed by Technical Sgt. Kenya L. Martin, 11 FSS non-commissioned officer in charge of FTAC.
The course is designed to help transition new Airmen from a training environment into an operational mindset, said Sergeant Dennis.
Another function of the PDC is to guide enlisted members on their career paths by providing information regarding training opportunities, special duties, Air Force benefits, commissioning programs, re-training and assignments.
"We don't tell them what to do, we just make sure Airmen have the most accurate and current information, so they are aware of everything that is available to them," said Sergeant Dennis.
The PDC also offers professional enhancement courses to include Enlisted Performance Report and awards writing, standards of discipline, performance counseling, and financial management, said Sergeant Dennis.
Senior Master Sgt. Steve Arbona, A-10 manager of Air Force nuclear security integration, instructs an EPR writing course at the PDC.
Teaching a course like this offers him a chance to help young supervisors start off at a better point in their careers than he did, said Sergeant Arbona.
Technical Sgt. Martin developed a program called the Education Initiatives.
Education initiatives include all of the opportunities an Airman has available to progress. It was created to guide Airman from the beginning of their educational process all the way through, said Sergeant Dennis.
"It focuses in on your Career Development Course initially, and then on to your Community College of the Air Force degree, and from there pursuing your bachelors," said Tech. Sgt. Martin.
Along with this, they offer a mentorship program through "my Enlisted Development Plan, located in the Air Force Portal.
"We don't try to fill the role of the supervisor," said Sergeant Dennis. "We know that the supervisors are busy and the operational mission comes first, so our office fills that gap."
For more information or to register for courses offered by the PDC, visit the Community of Practice for career related information on the Air Force portal in the "AFKN" link.