Instructors mold Airmen: Impact future of Air Force

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Allison M. Boehm
  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
Barksdale Air Force Base; La. --  This article is part one of a series over special duty assignments. 

As new Air Force recruits quickly shuffle off the bus in the middle of the night, an aggressive, booming voice pulsates through the normally quiet squadron. "Get over here trainee," demands a sharp-uniformed Airman wearing a dark blue campaign hat. 

Immediately, the trainees recognize the voice belongs to their military training instructor and their eight-and-a-half week long transformation from civilian to Airman has begun. 

Although the job of the military training instructor is a special duty assignment, it is one of the most important jobs in the Air Force. The MTI spares no effort to properly train future servicemembers for military duty. 

The military training instructor's job is to directly supervise, lead, mentor and evaluate trainees on skills required of an Airman in the United States Air Force. One former MTI feels the skills the trainee acquire during basic military training is a reflection of the instructor who taught them. 

"As an MTI, you are in charge of taking in raw recruits and instilling them with discipline, military demeanor, confidence, pride and the skills necessary to succeed in the Air Force," said former MTI, retired Tech. Sgt. Donald Bergeron, 2d Civil Engineer Squadron furnishing management. "How well we performed our job dictates the quality of Airman that was produced." 

MTIs take more than 60 individual personalities and mold them into one cohesive flight.
"It is very difficult to make a weak minded trainee who has been told all his life he will never amount to anything, and mold him in to a strong willed, well-rounded Airman," said Staff Sgt. Christopher Gordon, 321st training squadron MTI. "It is even harder to take a trainee who has everything handed to him on a silver platter and make him work for a living. 

"Most people look at us and think all we do is yell all day and beat trainees until they do what we ask of them and that can't be further from the truth," he continued. "There is a physical side to basic military training. However, we motivate and inspire trainees to be the best. Not because we want them to, but because they believe in themselves." 

For many MTIs, the knowledge of what it takes to mold an Airman drives them to pursue a career in instructing trainees. 

"As an MTI I know I play a vital role in today's Air Force, and the future of the Air Force," said Sergeant Gordon. "I spent 12 years in aircraft maintenance and loved every minute of it. However, I wanted something more--a challenge. I knew I wanted to become an MTI after a brand new Airman reported to duty and interrupted my conversation with my section supervisor to say he had arrived. I looked at him and at that point I knew something was missing so; I started looking into Air Force BMT. I became a MTI with the mentality if I could change just one trainee, just one, it was worth it." 

For those who wish to take on the demanding carrier of the MTI, the journey begins once the Airman applies for the position through the assignment management system. Once an MTI recruiter is contacted, a special-duty package needs to be submitted. To become an MTI, an Airman must meet several eligibility requirements to ensure the right individuals are instructing the future of the Air Force. 

The career field is open to all Air Force specialty codes and requires MTI hopefuls to hold the rank of at least senior airman with at least three years but less than six years total active federal military service. Non-commissioned officers must have less than 17 years TAFMS. Individuals must also display excellent military image and appearance as well as excellent records with overall ratings of a five on their last five Enlisted Performance Reports. The Airman is then evaluated and if chosen, reports to duty as a pre-student to become an MTI at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. 

As a pre-student, the Airmen follow an MTI and study how they handle themselves and their flight of trainees. Once a slot in technical school is available, the student reports to class for seven weeks and upon graduation, returns back to the training squadron as a post-student where they push a flight as a student instructor. 

While pushing their first flight under the supervision of another MTI, the new instructor is able to hone their instructing method. 

"Every instructor teaches differently," said Mr. Bergeron. "But each instructor is dedicated in their instructing. It is all repetition-- nothing is ever good enough when it comes to the trainee's performance." 

Because the instructors have different personality types, different methods of teaching are used. 

"Our environment and mission requires us to push trainees to their breaking point and then build them up to be productive members of the Air Force," said Sergeant Gordon. "My instructing method is motivational and stern. The motivation part is a key element in keeping a trainee going in this type of environment. Something as simple as allowing a trainee to read and write a letter will produce a huge amount of motivation. Stern due to the fact I set a standard and they will live by that standard." 

While some instructors are ruthless and stern, others rather take a different approach.
"We all have different personalities, I prefer to instruct fair and firm," said Staff Sgt. Rachel Echols, 321st TRS MTI. "I get them to react by meshing both traits together. I wanted to be a mentor and use my knowledge to help young Airmen. Being humble and having the ability to be open and learn new things helps instructors excel in this job." 

Although most military jobs come with a certain degree of pressure, the MTI's job sees a lot of it. 

An MTI's day starts at 4:30 a.m. and ends anywhere between 6 and 10 p.m. seven days a week. 

"The first couple weeks are the hardest," said Mr. Bergeron. "It's a hard job from day one. It wasn't uncommon to kiss the wife bye and say, 'see ya' in two weeks' when a new flight arrived. This job is all about time management--if you can't get that down, it's going to be a long tour." 

Sergeant Gordon agrees. 

"When I come to work in the morning my family is asleep and when I leave work my family is asleep," said Sergeant Gordon. "I see my kids, if lucky, a couple of hours every week. I miss holidays and birthdays. As MTIs we sacrifice a lot to do this job." 

Although MTIs make many sacrifices, the rewards of the job make their efforts worthwhile. 

"I always remember the first time marching my flight during Retreat," said Sergeant Gordon. "As soon as we stepped onto the retreat pad, thousands of parents went nuts. It was great and nerve racking all at once. At the end of BMT graduation day, I watch parents and loved ones not recognize their Airman, watch fathers cry and see mothers so proud they don't know what to say. I see this and say nothing. I just turn and walk away knowing I did my job. It makes it all worthwhile." 

For more information on becoming a MTI, contact the MTI recruiting team at Lackland Air Force Base at 473-1016 or 210-671-1016.