An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Technical school students get unique look into career broadening opportunities

  • Published
  • By Vanessa R. Adame

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas-- More than 100 technical training students and guests filled the auditorium here at the 344th Training Squadron, May 9 for a presentation on career opportunities for Airmen in the Materiel Management career field.

Airmen heard career field managers discuss a variety of jobs in their specialty across the Air Force and helped them learn about future potential opportunities.

“In the apprentice course, technical school students establish materiel management foundational skills,” said Staff Sgt. Giselle Pena, 344th Training Squadron. “Having our 2S career broadeners visit gives insight to a different side of materiel management, a side not often known until some Airmen become NCO’s, even SNCO’s. Our students were informed of how a simple customer transaction ripples through the Air Force enterprise and DOD supply chain.”   

Master Sgt. Colleen Stalder, 416th Supply Chain Management Squadron, was one of the career field managers who briefed the Airmen; she agreed that this event is a huge step in the right direction.

“Career broadening is not often spoken of, or even known of, for Materiel Management until it’s possibly too late,” Stalder said. “With us coming here today, it’s going to put a little nugget in their brain and… they’re going to remember this briefing, and when it comes time for them to be eligible, they’ll know what the program is about.”

Master Sgt. Marshall Dexter, 3rd Audiovisual Squadron, attended the briefing to learn about the program.

“Just to hear about their experience so that I could possibly pass that on to my Airmen in the future,” he said. “This is definitely a good opportunity so that students here so they can choose a career path they may want to pursue.”

Approximately 1300 students graduate from the 344th TRS’ Materiel Management apprentice-level training each year, another 800 students graduate from the craftsman-level training annually.