MARTINSBURG, W.Va. -- Nearly 200 Air National Guardsmen, representing more than 40 units nation-wide, attended a Contemporary Base Issues course hosted by the 167th Airlift Wing and held at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Shepherdstown, W.Va., Nov. 15-16.
The CBI course aims to prepare current and future Air National Guard leaders, officer and non-commissioned officers, to identify, analyze and resolve contemporary base issues.
Lt. Col. Bradley Ball, Staff Judge Advocate for the 164th AW and CBI course director, said the course is offered to empower leaders so they can “drill down and think through challenging situations."
ANG Judge Advocate Generals provided twelve blocks of instruction to the participants covering topics ranging from duty status, ethics, tools and references, standards, discrimination and personnel and administrative matters.
Maj Gen Daniel Bunch, ANG assistant to the Judge Advocate General of the United States Air Force, told the participants that they may only spend ten percent of their time on these types of issues but warned that “if you’re wading through any of these topics we’re discussing without a legal team you’re taking unnecessary risk.”
“This is a leadership course, we’re going to talk about legal issues,” said Brig. Gen. David Dziobkowski, the ANG Assistant to the Commander, Air Force Legal Operations Agency, during his opening remarks to the participants. “Good leadership is very hard but that’s why you’re here, to improve your leadership.”
Col. David Cochran, 167th AW commander, said the 167AW leadership had been looking for an opportunity to host a CBI course for several years and was pleased to offer the professional development for Airmen. About 60 167AW personnel attended the course.
“We need inspirational, passionate, and deliberate leadership,” Cochran said to the course participants. “Thanks for your engagement and your deliberateness.”