JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas – Discover the importance of language, regional expertise and culture education in the context of the agile combat employment concept on the latest episode of "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast, released Mar. 2, 2023.
Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team spoke virtually with Mr. Howard Ward, director of the Air Force Culture and Language Center at Air University, who explains the why and how LREC helps the Air Force execute integrated deterrence in line with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q Brown Jr’s “Accelerate Change or Lose” strategy, as well as how the Language Enabled Airman Program, or LEAP, fits into that philosophy.
The podcast also covers development of LEAP scholars, and real-world examples coming out of Afghanistan and Ukraine that highlight the importance of language and cultural understanding in combined operations around the world. Listeners will also learn about the re-release of the AFCLCs signature Culture Guide app and how the center is providing education at enterprise scale and velocity in line with AETC’s priority of incorporating digital age technology across the command to enable learning anywhere, anytime.
The professional development podcasts are designed to help communicate and inform Total Force Airmen across the globe on relevant, timely topics related to the recruiting, training, education and development fields and can be listened to on the government network on the AETC website, DVIDS, or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify as well. Future episodes are set to cover a wide range of topics, including force development, and much more.