FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Flight school student administration recently underwent significant changes to improve efficiency and help make student-pilots' training here smoother, officials said.
All lieutenants and warrant officers are now assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 145th Aviation Regiment, as of July 14, said Maj. Derek Smith, B Co. commander. Commissioned officers previously fell under D Co., 1st Bn., 145th Avn. Regt.
D Co. staff now oversees the Basic Officer Leader Course B program of instruction, he said. This course encompasses basic officer skills, evaluation reports, career management, weapons qualification, tactical convoy operations, land navigation and other skills. It is the initial course flight school students complete upon arrival here.
The transfer "put everyone under one roof and one single policy," Smith said. "(At B Company), we focus on students' welfare and transition into training. We recreated the structure of the organization to make it more efficient. It's part of the (Leading Change Initiative) and trying to reform how we can better service the students as they go through flight school."
The switch enabled Maj. Diosabelle Buack, D Co. commander, to devote her full attention to the BOLC B program.
"It streamlines administrative tracking. I own the students only during BOLC B," she said. "(Now) each company has a direct focus. We're trying to produce the overall best warfighter, Soldier and officer."
While administrative changes impact cadre members, the process should be transparent to Soldiers in training, Smith noted.
The flight school students currently here will notice a few other improvements.
Unit leaders are currently implementing Armywide changes to physical training, focusing on "a lot more cross-fit exercises," Smith said.
Former PT standards centered on running, push-ups and sit-ups, said Capt. Holly Burke, B Co. operations officer-in-charge. Cross-fit uses a variety of strength and cardio workouts, focusing on intensity and energy exerted, instead of timed exercises.
To accomplish these new standards, flight school students are broken down into small groups of 20-30 people for exercise routines, Smith said. This allows them to incorporate more diverse exercise opportunities, including gymnasium and pool workouts.
B Co.'s new PT plan has reduced Army Physical Fitness Test failure rates among students by 90 percent, he said.
All flight school students, regardless of what training phase they are in, must participate in class PT regimens. Plans are coordinated around students' schedules and the number of workouts required each week depends on what APFT score individuals maintain, Smith said.
"It's helping teach (students) about responsibility and managing populations," he said.
Families are an integral part of a successful flight school experience, Smith noted. To help incorporate students' loved ones, officials host a warrant officer candidate Family Readiness Group meeting every other Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at Kelly Hall, Bldg. 5205. BOLC FRG meetings are conducted the third Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. at The Commons, Bldg. 8950.
These meetings introduce Families to Fort Rucker and educate them on what to expect during flight school. Commander's receptions take place every other Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at The Landing.
Students nearing completion of their training receive orders for their next duty stations sooner than before, Smith said. Soldiers receive a "request for orders" 60 days before their slated graduation dates, which inform them of their next duty station. Students receive official orders about 45 days prior to graduation.
Some student-pilots believe the changes will improve their training here.
WO1 Mike Maquet works at B Co. while waiting to train on OH-58D Kiowa Warriors. He said the merger creates a better management system and eliminates inefficiencies.
Second Lt. Alexandra Vane, a UH-60 Black Hawk student, said she appreciates the improvements.
"People are very friendly at B Company," she said. "The PT program is a great program. It gives people an incentive to do well on their PT tests."
These improvements follow almost a year's worth of efforts to streamline the flight school process, Burke said.
Social Sharing