JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, CHAPMAN TRAINING ANNEX – On June 7, 2023, the Special Warfare Training Wing conducted the first-ever Human Performance Adjunct Faculty Course.
This new instructor methodology course was meticulously crafted to provide comprehensive training for medical and human performance staff across the Special Warfare Training Wing (SWTW), including personnel from geographically separated units. The course curriculum encompasses a wide range of topics, including understanding the individual learner, risk management, ethics, value communication, professionalism, regulations related to the military training environment, as well as human performance integration.
“Efficient and synchronized organizational performance is based on the team sharing a compelling purpose, a vision toward the future development of Special Warfare Airmen, and transparent communication across the SWTW enterprise and external stakeholders,” said Col. George Buse, commander of the Special Warfare Human Performance Support Group (SWHPSG). The Adjunct Faculty Course (AFC) helps enculturate medical and human performance staff who are new to the special warfare community and/or unfamiliar with the military training enterprise. Buse added, “Just as new instructors adapt to responsibilities, expectations, and standards of conduct outlined in the Instructor Qualification Course, SWHPSG personnel can better calibrate their roles in special warfare training units through the AFC.”
In addition to creating a shared understanding between SWHPSG personnel, the instructor staff and special warfare trainees, the AFC offers insight into the integration of SWHPSG capabilities into course curriculum. The concept of “human performance course mapping,” introduced by Tyler Christiansen, former SWHPSG director of human performance, is an integral element of the AFC. This approach integrates medical and human performance capabilities into course core documents and ensures long-term resourcing and curriculum requirements are aligned. Instead of adding these capabilities as an afterthought, course mapping establishes them as essential components of the training process.
Christiansen also emphasized the importance of aligning the course with the Air Force Special Warfare Career Field Education and Training Plans (CFETP).
“As we dial in our methods and means of supporting the various CFETPs, we will help inform AFSPECWAR career fields on what we can deliver to them after the trainee completes our pipeline,” said Christiansen.
The AFC represents a significant step forward in codifying the integration of SWHPSG personnel and human performance principles into Special Warfare Airmen training. With its comprehensive curriculum and collaborative approach, this course ultimately promises to further the physical, mental, and spiritual capabilities of Special Warfare Airmen, equipping them for the challenges they face in the future.
The AFC is scheduled to run 4-6 times per year, enabling a significant number of personnel to benefit from this transformative course. Before receiving formal validation from the Air Education and Training Command, the course must run at least three times to demonstrate its effectiveness and meet rigorous standards.
To read more stories on how the SWTW embeds human performance into its training pipelines, click Athletic Trainers in SWTW.
If you want to pursue a career in AFSPECWAR and wish to speak to a special warfare recruiter, please visit https://www.airforce.com/find-a-recruiter.