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Training Program Plan Instructions

Amanda Reagle
AET/570
August 22, 2016
Dr. Patrick Oldenburgh, Jr.

Training Program Plan

Part I: Training Program Description
The U. S. military requires a different level of commitment from its members than most
private sector organizations. Conduct on- and off-duty must be of the highest standard. Offenses
committed off-duty may also be punishable through loss of rank, non-judicial punishment, or
even discharge.
Currently, about 75 percent of those 17-24 years of age are not eligible to join because of
physical factors, criminal factors, or because they are unable to score highly enough on the
Armed Forces Qualification Test (Longley, 2016). In fact, only a half percent of the U.S.
population served in the military in 2013, while over 12 percent of the population served during
World War II (Eikenberry & Kennedy, 2013). One can surmise from these statistics that many
choose not to serve even if they are otherwise eligible. This small community of eligible and
willing military members must then be cultivated to lead others and maintain morale and pride to
continue serving.
This program focuses on those next to take on a first-line supervisory role: E-4s, called
Senior Airman (SrA) in the Air Force. Currently, there is a program that teaches E-4 eligible or
queued for E-5 (Staff Sergeant) promotion how to perform feedback and basic managerial skills,
known as Airman Leadership School (ALS). However, training on leadership, motivating others,
and pride in Airmanship will increase the opportunity for newly-promoted SrA to make an
informed decision about their value in the Air Force and the career growth opportunities
available. In the absence of an earlier training program, four-year enlistees often never have the
motivation to obtain valuable leadership, followership, and career-planning experience because
of promotion cycles.
This training has the goal of creating connected, proud Airmen who understand how to
practice and promote leadership and followership to accomplish the various military missions.

First, the course reminds students of the pride they should embrace from serving in the armed
forces, and to understand how being in a leadership role in the military has different
responsibilities than being in supervisory roles in private-sector organizations. Furthermore,
creating a sense of belonging to the service, along with the opportunity to network with other
leaders in different units, will create a more well-rounded picture of what leadership looks like.
As a military member, it is important for first-line enlisted supervisors to understand and
be able to communicate with subordinates the importance of followership toward meeting
military objectives. Students will also learn about special duty opportunities to highlight extra
opportunities available within the military service arena. Finally, empowered young Airmen with
pride, skills, and a career plan will be more likely to reenlist, improving retention rates for high
achievers.
The objectives of the course are for students to understand: the relatively small
percentage military members make of the population, and that it is unique; the responsibilities of
Airman versus that of a civilian in on- and off-duty activities; the roles of leadership and
followership in a successful military career; the importance of networking with other leaders
outside of ones unit/career field; the special-duty opportunities available for personal and
professional growth.
This training meets a number of Knowles principles and assumption of adult learning:
students will gain tools immediately of use in the work environment, can gain valuable
experience through sharing stories and problems with others. Furthermore, through learning of
career opportunities, they become self-motivated to continue learning and networking to meet
personal goals (Pappas, 2013).
Part II: Gap Analysis
A gap analysis determines the current situation and compares it with future goals to find
where training or other tools can make goals possible (MindTools Editorial Team, 2016). The

information gained from a gap analysis can be qualitative, quantitative, or a mixture of both. The
goal of this training is to make new SrA excited and prepared for leading, following, and
promoting a professional image for the Air Force. For this training program gap analysis,
personal observations, performance reviews, and informal interactions are used to make training
determinations.
Personal observations revealed that new SrA often feel no additional responsibility or
respect as a result of promotion, though they have often excelled in their career field and
completed multiple trainings and tests to certify this. Additionally, many Airmen are not
stationed near friends or family, so their peers become family. However, peer pressure (like
family pressure) can be hard to ignore, and off-duty conduct is not at the high standards
explained in basic training. This leads to problems, such as underage drinking, fighting, and even
sexual assault filings that affect the community and the workplace.
Performance reviews of new SrA often show a lack of leadership and group activities,
because completing training and certification for ones primary job is pressured most from direct
supervisors, over leadership and followership opportunities. Leadership and Followership is a
key area in annual performance reports. This can cause for lower performance report scores and
demoralize the Airman.
Informal interactions with Airmen have shown they often feel insignificant in military
life, because they are treated more like replaceable parts of a machine rather than individuals
with goals, dreams, and desires. Interactions with higher ranking individuals who have
experience and knowledge are still few and far between at this stage of their career, because
these new SrA still feel intimidated by higher rank.
This analysis shows that offering a program that reminds Airmen of their duty to behave
professionally at all times, improve leadership and followership qualities, and look to others for

advice and experience will be useful to new SrA and to the Air Force for the retention of quality
future leaders.

Part III: Budget

Creating a budget for a training program is an important step in the program planning
process. As a government program. Though this program is not intended to generate revenue
directly, program planners for government programs must still sign contracts with the
government pledging to make quarterly financial reports and to adhere to the budget or face
losing the grant or program (Caffarella, Daffron, & Cervero, 2013, p. 283).
This two-week training program will operate quarterly at each operational base, serving
about 180 students per base each year, based on E-2 and total force strength projections for 2016
(Statista, 2016). Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska will be the test area for this training program.
With about 45 students per quarter, the program is planned for 4 classes with 10-12 students each
class. This small class size allows instructors to set up useful group and individual projects.
Using cost estimates for professional office supplies, commercial rental averages in the
area, average salary estimates, and other averages, the initial cost for the first year of the training
program is $270,417, which averages to $1,502 expenditure per student. Specific cost estimates
are provided below. (Budget spreadsheet derived from Caffarella, Daffron, and Cevero (2013),
Preparing Program Budgets and Estimating Income.)
In the second and third year of program life, costs fall significantly as many items will
not need to be purchased in those years to maintain program efficacy, lowering program costs to
$239,460. Costs can be altered in a number of ways. First, rather than renting a dedicated space,
the building and classrooms currently used by the Airman Leadership School (ALS) staff could
be used between those courses to host this program. This would save nearly $61,000 in initial
costs at Offutt Air Force Base. However, many bases do not have this program, so not every base
will see these same savings. Additionally, choosing larger class sizes and using only three
teachers per course instead of four teachers could save the program $1,200 annually.
Program Overview

Annual

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Expenses
Personnel
Program Manager
(contracted)
Instructors/facilitators
Support Staf
Fringe Benefits
Program Manager
Instructors/facilitators
Support Staf
External Staf
Sub-contractors (janitorial)
Materials
Copying
Printing
Technical Support
Internet Fees
Learning Management
System
Equipment
Computers
Printers
Projectors
Screens
Facilities
Commercial building floor
rental
Vending (purchase and fill)
Food
Supplies, Telephone
Supplies
Telephone

$
110,000.00
$
$
55,000.00
$
2,000.00
$
4,800.00
$
500.00
$
4,940.00
$
1,000.00
$
600.00
$
1,200.00
$
15,000.00
$
8,000.00
$
5,750.00
$
8,000.00
$
3,200.00
$
36,000.00
$
9,200.00
$
640.00
$
4,227.00
$

Total Expenses

360.00
$
270,417.00

As a government program, most of the funds needed for the training will be provided
from the government. However, fundraisers hosted by each course and a small profit from
vending machines will offset the costs of food available at the end of each course. Below is a
breakdown of income sources, derived from Caffarella, Daffron, and Cerveros (2013)
Preparing Budgets and Estimating Income Sources exercise 12.1.

Income Source
Auxiliary enterprise & sales
(Vending)
Government funds
Fundraising
Total

Annual Amount of
Income/Subsidy
$
195.00
$
269,422.00
$
800.00
$
270,417.00

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Part IV: Staffing Plan

Classes are taught by senior non-commissioned officers (SNCOs) in the grades of E-7
and E-8 who have completed both Airman Leadership School and SNCO Academy. This will be
a special assignment and teachers will earn $300 per course taught, based on parameters in the
Special Duty Assignment Pay for Enlisted Members rules (Special and Incentive Pay Index,
n.d.). Members selected to teach classes will designate at least two course offerings per year in
which to participate, to allow deployment and other normal job duties to continue. Other noncommissioned officers (NCOs) and SNCOs will apply to give small lectures on objectives
throughout the course, as available, and will receive no additional stipend for such work. A fulltime administrator is required for the program to manage instructor, lecturer, and student
availability, as well as secure the proper facilities and other supplies for instruction. Information
technology resources will be provided by the base communications unit.
For the course, an area with at least four classroom areas, access to restrooms, and dining
options must be procured. On many bases, this area can be found on a level in a hospital, or as an
unused portion of an administrative building. At Offutt Air Force Base, the test base, space is
found on the third level of the hospital building. Resources available include internet connections
and telephone services for an administrator; however, computer, projector, televisions, and
student seating solutions will have to be procured for classes. Seating, projectors, and televisions
may be available through other base functions, but funding for computers will need to be
considered as a cost of training.
To obtain a qualified and varied background of NCOs and SNCOs for training, the base
commander enthusiastically support this program, and ask commanders and senior enlisted to
recommend and encourage their best to apply for the program. An Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Prevention and Treatment (ADAPT) program staff member will also be required for the course.

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Instructor vacancies will be filled first by volunteers, then through unit commander
recommendation. Selection will be based on experience and availability
Additionally, special duty representatives, such as recruiters, first sergeants, and military
training instructors should be available to speak to classes about their experiences. While
recruiters and first sergeants are available on or near base, military training instructors will need
to be flown in and housed (in most instances) to be able to speak to the classes.
Instructors will receive performance evaluations as part of their normal evaluation
process within the respective units. Course feedback will be reviewed by the program
administrator and relevant data will be forwarded to the respective instructor unit commanders.

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Part V: Stakeholders and Goals

Stakeholders

Base commander

Partnership goal

Ways to build support

- Reduce on- and of-duty

conduct violations

- Tie training objectives

to vision statement and
Airmans Creed

- Increase quality of
Airmen

-Create pool of future

NCOs ready to lead
Unit commanders

Senior enlisted leaders

Front-line supervisors

-Allow SNCOs more

mentoring/leadership
opportunities through
course participation

-Reduce instances of
misconduct through
reattachment to duty

-Motivate Airmen to take

interest in career
opportunities
-Increase good
followership skills

-Learn about career

opportunities
New SrA

-Re-establish zeal for

joining the military
-Increase confidence in
leadership/followership
abilities

- Short course for morale

and retention benefits
- Benefits unit force by
taking focus away from
SrA preparing to
separate, but to focus on
career opportunities
- Benefits unit force by
enforcing leadership and
followership principles
- Highlight opportunity to
open lines of
communication for
mentorship and
networking, improving
dedication to unit and
force
- Emphasize how small
break from normal duties
will reinvigorate Airmen
to task and unit
- Opens dialogue about
what leadership and
followership look like in
the unit
- A breather from normal
duties
- Find out about other
career trajectories
- Increased success in
on- and of-duty
leadership and
followership scenarios

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Part VI: Communication Plan

Enlisted Growth
through
Early Learning

The name of the course is Enlisted Growth through Early Learning, or EGEL,
pronounced eagle. The logo is simple, a bald eagle soaring high, with the name of the course
surrounding the eagle. The bald eagle is generally considered a symbol of strength, patriotism,
and power, which are all positive feelings to promote this training. The slogan for the program
encapsulates the goals of the program: Building career leadership and communication skills for
a well-prepared enlisted force. This appeals to senior leaders because it speaks to improving the
force as a whole, and appeals to supervisors and students who wish to improve interpersonal and
professional interactions toward a successful career.
The EGEL training program has a number of positive attributes that will contribute to
adult learning. Students will learn from SNCOs, who are career Airmen. The course will also
improve communication at all levels of interaction and enhance coping strategies for various

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personal and professional stressors. Structured scenarios and personal stories will help students
to execute the strategies learned throughout the course. Finally, students will hone skills vital to
improving their career prospects and learn about other avenues for advancement outside of their
current career field.
The base commander will receive program information as part of a specialized brief to
receive full attention. This will be presented via video conference or in person to allow for
candid discussion and inputs. The base commander will also be encouraged to speak with senior
enlisted leaders about volunteering stories and time to the program.
Unit leadership will have program presentation emailed with request to add to weekly
commanders briefing, with opportunity for thoughts and concerns emailed to program manager.
Additionally, flyers delivered to unit commanders, SNCOs, and First Sergeants. First Sergeants
will receive updates for those Airmen eligible to complete the course, and relay to direct
supervisors.
Students will receive information about the program through flyers posted in the unit,
along with an introduction to the program at unit commanders calls to enumerate the benefits of
attendance. Information to register will be sent from the program manager based on time of
promotion, and registration will require supervisor signature to ensure relevant parties are
notified.

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Enlisted Growth through Early Learning (EGEL) Fact Sheet

Building Career Leadership and Communication Skills for a Well-Prepared Enlisted Force

EGEL is an in-depth, 10-day, 80-hour course for new SrA that strives to improve
communication, leadership, followership, and Airmanship skills. The course is divided into five
areas of importance to encourage Airman to enhance their Air Force career capabilities. Courses
are offered quarterly and rely on the participation and experience of senior enlisted leaders in
base units.
Topics Covered in this Course:
1. Leadership principles
a. Understanding core values and mission of the Air Force
b. Communicating with superiors and subordinates
c. Leadership versus management
d. Lawful versus unlawful orders
e. Management of personal and professional responsibilities
2. Followership principles
a. Being a team player
b. Accomplishing the mission
c. Personal development
d. Recording duties and accomplishments
3. Career progression
a. Roles and responsibilities of each rank
b. Required and recommended courses of study
c. The importance of mentorship
d. Community service and volunteerism
4. On- and off-duty conduct
a. Appearance
b. Speaking with the media and about government actions
c. Alcohol and drug use (with ADAPT professionals/First Sergeants)
d. Deescalating conflict in and out of the workplace
5. Special duty opportunities
a. First Sergeant
b. Recruiter
c. Military Training Instructor

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Part VII: Program Evaluation

The purpose of evaluation is to discover the usefulness of instruction to the students
career, and how that usage affects the organization, which in this case is the Air Force. Using the
Kirkpatrick Levels of Evaluations, this program will receive full diagnostic measurement for its
use and promote continuous improvement to the goals of the program. Kirkpatrick (2008)
explains the levels as: Reaction, or the level of satisfaction the students felt about the program;
Learning, or what information the participants felt they gained from the program; Behavior, or
how students used the information presented in the workplace; and Results, or how the training
benefited the organization overall. For this writing, Level One is the Reaction evaluation, Level
Two is Learning, Level Three is Behavior, and Level Four is the Results evaluation.
The program manager is responsible for reporting to the base commander with attendance
and evaluation data. Level One and Two evaluation data will remain with the program manager
to enhance continuous improvement efforts, while Level Three and Level Four data will be
analyzed and reported along with suggested improvements to the various aspects of the program.
Evaluation Data by Level
Level One evaluations will be a simple one-page End-of-Course survey completed by
students on the last day of the course. Level One metrics will offer insight to students reactions
to the instruction, facilities, and time spent on each area of focus. Students will also have the
opportunity to add additional comments about the course not covered by the survey.
Level Two evaluations will use Criterion-referenced tests (CRTs), or pass/fail exams, on
each of the five areas of focus to ensure understanding. These tests will determine each students
ability to apply instruction to probable situations encountered as part of a military lifestyle, such
as preparing ones family for deployment or what to say to calm an unruly peer in a bar.
Level Three evaluations will be sent to unit First Sergeants six months after course
completion. The student, along with his or her supervisor, will complete a short questionnaire to
determine not only if, but how, training is being used, as well as to get an idea of how

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supervisors of those trained feel about the results of the training. The questions within this
evaluation will allow answers either as a Likert Scale response, as well as some questions with a
dichotomous response. As with the Level One evaluation, respondents will be able to leave
additional comments or concerns with the course or the survey.
Level Four evaluations can begin two years after completion of the course. Program
managers can look to personnel data to compile information about students on conduct,
promotion, performance reports, and retention to compare with previous years data. The intent
of the program is to prepare Airmen for a military career, so the desired outcome is to see a
decrease in conduct violations and an increase in reenlistments for those able to attend the
training versus those who were not. Because of the six-year enlistment period many joining the
Air Force choose, another Level Four evaluation four years post-training will offer additional
insight into whether retention rates are positively affected by this program. Interviews with the
highest- and lowest-performing from this data will add depth to the reasons behind their
performance, as well as how training affected them.
A positive correlation between training and behavior after the two-year Level Four
evaluation may warrant training to be offered at additional bases as a means to improve enlisted
performance and retention across the Air Force, and more funding will become available to
improve scenario and guest-speaker opportunities.

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References
Caffarella, R. S., Daffron, B. M., & Cervero, R. M. (2013). Planning programs for adult
learners: A practical guide (3rd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook
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Eagle. [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.pngall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Bald-EaglePNG-Image.png
Eikenberry, K. W., & Kennedy, D. M. (2013, May 26). Americans and their military, drifting
apart. New York Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/27/opinion/americans-and-their-military-driftingapart.html?pagewanted=all&_r=2
Kirkpatrick, D. L. (2008). Section VI: Measuring and evaluating impact - Luminary perspective:
Evaluating training programs. ASTD Handbook for Workplace Learning Professionals.
Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook database.
MindTools editorial team. (2016). Gap analysis. Retrieved from
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/gap-analysis.htm
Pappas, C. (2013, May 9). The adult learning theory- Andragogy- of Malcolm
Knowles. eLearning Industry. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/the-adultlearning-theory-andragogy-of-malcolm-knowles
Special and incentive pay index. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Special-and-Incentive-Pays/Index/#307
Statista. (2016). Total military personnel of the U.S. Air Force for fiscal years 2015 to 201, by
rank. Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statistics/239365/total-military-personnelof-the-us-air-force-by-grade/