LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Airmen across the 47th Flying Training Wing are stepping outside their normal duties to compete in challenges, attend professional development sessions, and gain exposure to missions beyond their work centers.
Driving this effort is the Warrior Action Team (WAT), initiated by Chief Master Sgt. Erik Garza, 47th FTW command chief, and centered on the wing's second line of effort to “develop the force to cultivate a warrior mindset.”
The concept launched in December 2025 with “12 Days of Professional Development,” a condensed delivery of development events offered to all Airmen, civilians and spouses.
Today, the WAT consists of seven Airmen representatives from four groups within the wing. Together, they coordinate a consistent monthly series of events, including two professional development opportunities, a resiliency session, a challenge event, and a mission immersion experience, encouraging growth, teamwork, and mission awareness.
For Garza, the purpose goes beyond simply offering classes. “You can give someone information and put them through a course, but if they don’t have the right mindset to think what they’re doing is important, the message is lost in translation” he said.
A key component of this mindset is creating opportunities for Airmen to see how other organizations throughout the base contribute to the mission.
“It gives everyone a chance to see things from a different lens,” Garza added.
Recent events have emphasized building resilience and strengthening community with events ranging from self-defense basics, narrative statement writing, and flight simulator tours.
“As a SNCO I believe the opportunities presented by the WAT provide a wide variety of opportunities,” said Master Sgt. KayLynn Hughes, 47th Security Forces Squadron flight chief. “With the varying workloads everyone has, they each get a chance to get to one or more of the events.”
Garza noted that the team ultimately helps connect Airmen with opportunities that strengthen their understanding of the mission and their specific role in supporting it.
The mission of the 47th FTW is to develop mission-ready, resilient airmen, leaders and pilots. Laughlin personnel maintain one of the busiest airfields in Air Force.
“The WAT is a conduit between Laughlin Airmen and the Air Force mission,” said Garza. “The goal is to open doors and share knowledge now so Airmen have the experience needed to excel throughout their careers.”
This wing-wide commitment to comprehensive development is already making a strong impression on seasoned leaders and across all ranks, especially as Airman get the chance to see how their teammates daily duties impact the mission.
“In my almost 20-year career,” said Hughes, “I have not seen an initiative that focuses on developing Airmen, encouraging growth, and mission awareness across an entire installation like this.”
As the initiative continues to develop, the Airmen coordinating the program remain focused on creating opportunities that bring people together, introduce new perspectives, and strengthen connections.
Monthly Warrior Action Team events and professional development courses can be found on the XLer Bulletin.