INTRODUCTION OF AN ON-LINE BASIC AIR POWER COURSE
To complement the Professional Military Education and Training (PMET) program and to set junior staff on the path to developing their own sense of professional mastery in air power, the Air Power Development Centre has launched a Basic Air Power Course (BAPC)which is primarily designed to introduce new staff to the Air Force to the ‘family business’of air power. It is open to both uniformed members and Australian Public Servants.
This short on-line course provides an understanding of the fundamental concepts of air power. Conducted over six weekly lessons, the course involves devoting a couple of hours a week to the study of air power. A significant advantage of this course is that it is conducted through a web-based bulletin board (password protected) which means that it can be completed by students in their own time on any home computer. To assist the learning process, a course supervisor will be available to answer any questions from participants.
This course should form part of an Air Force member’s foundation studies and certainly provides a primer for further study into how airborne systems are used within the security framework of the government. Indeed, it serves as an excellent learning aid for the pre-requisite PMET courses which is the formal stream of a member’s professional development.
Participation on the BAPC is voluntary and while this may involve devoting some personal time to the study of air power, I think that it is important for every member of the Air Force to have an understanding of the application of air power and be an advocate for it. I appreciate that we all lead busy lives and that time is precious but there is only so much that PMET courses can achieve in a formal setting and to my mind a degree of self-education is necessary. However, there may be scope within the daily work routine for this course to be undertaken but I will leave this to the judgment of individual supervisors.
I would ask that supervisors encourage new staff to undertake the course and learn more about the characteristics and roles of air power and what part each Air Force member plays in support of the ‘family business’. Further details on how to register your interest to undertake the course are available on the APDC Homepage.
G.C. BROWN, AO
Air Marshal
Chief of Air Force
Feb 2014