Fire Academy Instructor takes over AETC Instagram account Published March 30, 2021 By Jennifer Gonzalez Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs Joint Base San Antonio – Randolph, Texas – An instructor from the Department of Defense Louis F. Garland Fire Academy at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, is the next force generator to take over AETC’s Instagram account April 7. Tech. Sgt. Steven Soto has been a fire fighter for the U.S. Air Force for 10 years and currently is an advanced course instructor at the Fire Academy. “When I return to the operational side of firefighting in a few months I know I will be more prepared because of the time I have spent instructing,” said Soto. “I now understand the why behind what we do in the field and this knowledge, along with management skills, will make me a better tech sergeant and future senior NCO.” Statistics show great promotion averages for those who have served in force generator enlisted positions. In the last 10 years, prior AETC force generators have promoted to master sergeant at 8.4% more than the Air Force promotion average. Department of Defense Louis F. Garland Fire Academy provides firefighting training to all DoD components in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard and international allies. Fire academy graduates go-on to become firefighting professionals around the world, working on all seven continents in every military service. “I have always wanted to become a firefighter,” said Soto. “Having a hand in shaping the future firefighters that will one day replace me has been eye opening. The impact I can have as an instructor on the next generation of firefighting professionals is beyond anything I could have ever imagined.”” The takeover is part of an AETC campaign to highlight developmental special duty assignments and the importance of these positions to our Air Force and AETC’s valuing force generators priority. Once a month, an instructor from across AETC has taken over the AETC Instagram account for a behind-the-scenes look into a day in-the life of a force generator at one of AETC’s installations. This is the third Instagram take over, the first was an Officer Training School instructor from Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, and the second a military training leader at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. Follow AETC on Instagram at aetc_firstcommand to see this take over April 7 and visit https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/AETCvaluingforcegenerators to learn more about valuing force generators.