Step One: Do Better; JBER Professional Development Center readies military members

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Raina Dale
  • Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  The Professional Development Center is a crucial part in shaping the next generation of service members. Here on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the PDC team makes it their duty to support and inspire all those who walk through their doors.

Made up of three dedicated individuals, the PDC strives for excellence in all they do. From the First-Term Enlisted Course, a four-day class tailored to introduce junior enlisted members to their first duty assignment and first military enlistment, all the way to Foundations 300, 500 and 700, these classes are designed to enhance skills and develop members from all tiers to progress in their career.

“I try to be the best version of a [non commissioned officer] that I possibly can be for junior enlisted members,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexandra Briley, NCO in charge of FTEC. “Who knows how many NCOs they’ve actually been able to sit down and talk to within the first 45 days of being on base. I want to make sure that I’m adhering to the standards that I’m telling them to adhere to.”

FTEC is an Air Force-wide curriculum and an essential building block to help transition new service members as they settle into their first operational base. Within this course, instructors reinforce and utilize lessons from Basic Military Training and technical school. Students learn various topics such as military culture, financial management and enlisted force structure.

Amongst teaching FTEC, the PDC offers Foundations courses for junior enlisted members to senior NCOs. As one of the only centers to continuously run multi-level foundations simultaneously, these courses prepare students for higher leadership responsibilities through guided instruction, peer learning and subject matter expert facilitation.

“When we're teaching a course, it’s not just about theory,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Brandi Jordan, the PDC superintendent. “It's about helping someone turn their natural way of talking into a genuine ability to handle a tough conversation or inspire others. It's about taking the potential they already have and making it real, so they can build a successful career and be truly ready for the mission.”

The military is a flexible and ever-changing environment often tied to the notion, “learn to adapt, or fail.” When dealing with service members of all ages and experience, the PDC makes it their goal to reach their audience in a way they best understand.

“It’s a leader's job to swoop down to where they're at and meet them, bringing them up to where [they] need to be,” said U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Charles Figgins, the PDC development advisor. “The only way to do that is by communicating, talking with them, being invested in them, finding different things and making yourself personable to them.”

With support from all over base, from wing leadership to instructor volunteers, the PDC is a constant machine in guaranteeing success to all those who enter.

“It all comes down to those simple moments at the end of a course. When a student comes up, looks you in the eye, and says 'thank you' — and you can tell they genuinely mean it—that's everything,” said Jordan. “In that moment, all the planning and hard work become worth it. Knowing that we're not just teaching but actually giving them tools that they're excited to use... that’s when I feel like we’re truly making a difference. It's an incredible feeling to know you're helping shape the next generation of leaders.”

Even with over 7,000 total-force members coming and going from the PDC, the team never fails to be present and available.

“People make the mission, and at the PDC… the people are our mission,” said Figgins. “If there’s one takeaway here for students and instructors alike, it’s always strive to do better.”