Four Team Vance officers selected for developmental education

  • Published
  • By Capt. Tony Wickman
  • Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Four Team Vance officers were part of the more than 950 officers and civilians recently selected to attend intermediate and senior developmental education programs during the academic 2008-09 year announced by Air Force Personnel Center officials.

Lt. Col. Chris Atteberry, 25th Flying Training Squadron commander, Lt. Col. Billye Hutchison, 71st Medical Operations Squadron commander, Maj. Sean Martin, 71st Flying Training Wing chief of plans and exercises, and Maj. Randall Sealy, 71st Operations Group, were notified Oct. 18 by wing leadership of their selection.

For Colonel Hutchison, who was selected to attend the Air War College in residence, she did a happy dance after being notified by Col. Rod Gillis, 71st Flying Training Wing vice commander.

"This is a great education opportunity. We traditionally only get a few slots for the nurse corps, so to be one of those chosen was a real honor," she said. "Sometimes we are sheltered in the medical community from the rest of the Air Force, so I'm looking forward to studying with my line counterparts about issues facing our AF and learning strategies to tackle those issues."

Colonel Atteberry, chosen for a National Defense Fellowship, was also honored to be selected and said his family is looking forward to moving to Washington D.C. next summer.

"I'm every excited for myself and my family for this new opportunity. I see this as an outstanding chance to expand my understanding of the broadest national defense issues," he said.

Major Martin said he is looking forward to going to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.

"It's an honor to be competitively selected among all the highly qualified people who could've gone on to developmental education," he said. "I'm looking forward to going to another service's school to get the joint instruction and to bring the Air Force perspective."

Major Sealy was selected to attend the Air Command and Staff College in residence at Maxwell AFB, Ala.

The Developmental Education Designation Board met Oct. 10-11 to select line and non-line officers and civilians to attend in-residence developmental education.

The DEDB process began this spring when senior raters/endorsers nominated officers and civilians for developmental education. These nominees were then forwarded to developmental teams who deliberately vectored/selected military primary candidates and alternates for intermediate and senior developmental education, and vectored civilian candidates to civilian developmental education programs.

Developmental teams used each candidate's development plan to understand the candidate's and senior rater's/endorser's desires about the next best developmental assignment and future career plans.

Line officers nominated to the DEDB by their developmental teams and not selected as primary designees were identified as alternates. Alternates may be eligible for possible supplemental school selection.

The list of primaries and alternates is posted to the Air Force Portal, force development community of practice. Additional IDE/SDE officer and CDE civilian program information is accessible on the AFPC Web site.