SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. – Recently, members of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, held the second iteration of the first term officer course at Heritage Hall on June 9 and 10, 2022.
This is the first year that FTOC has been held at Seymour Johnson AFB and is planned to take place every quarter.
FTOC is a professional development class that is intended for officers who have been serving for less than three years and are not prior-enlisted in the United States Air Force. The class is aimed to help first-term officers recognize different agencies and what those agencies offer for Airmen and their families.
“I came into FTOC with the perspective of a flight commander,” said Capt. Torin Carver, 4th Aerospace Medicine Squadron optometry flight commander and FTOC student. “I found new ways to understand what my patients and flight members experience. I’ve also found new resources to help them. I want to help grow the expertise and potential of my Airmen and this course has given me new ideas for training as well as access to resources for when I or my Airmen need support.”
This course also provides mentorship from Airmen of different tiers in both enlisted and officer ranks.
“For officers, we do not get a lot of mentorship and insight that the enlisted core receives when they first arrive,” said Maj. Nicholas Wells, 4th Munitions Squadron director of operations and FTOC facilitator. “Being a first-term officer is a lot of sink or swim and trying to figure it out as you go along; FTOC is aimed to open new officer’s eyes to a lot of really helpful organizations.”
The course began with a base introduction from Col. Bryce Silver, 4th Fighter Wing vice commander, along with briefs from multiple base organizations including equal opportunity, medical readiness, the sexual assault and prevention response team and more. The course also encompassed professional military education, a first sergeant's and chief’s panel, and ended with a base tour on Friday afternoon.
Being a new program, the next courses are subject to change, but the overall aspect of the curriculum will not.
“Over time, I think this course will keep evolving and developing and I think we will see a lot of changes in the next course,” said Wells. “I am excited to see where this goes and how future captains and majors carry this on and facilitate this for the next generation of company grade officers.”