JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas -- Approximately 40 Airmen and Guardians graduated from professional military education courses during the Inter-American Air Forces Academy’s Alpha Cycle graduation, April 23.
Lt. Gen. Michael Lutton, Deputy Commander of Global Strike Command, started his Air Force journey here 37 years ago as a young cadet at Officer Training School, at what is now known as Joint Base San Antonio-Chapman Annex. On this day, he was back as guest speaker at the graduation ceremony, where 36 students earned certificates from Inter-American Non-Commissioned Officer Course, Inter-American Squadron Officer Course and Inter-American Airman Leadership Course. The courses are all taught in Spanish by U.S. and Partner Nation Instructors.
Col. Bryan Tuinman, Commandant of IAAFA and Chief Master Sgt. Maurice Muro, Senior Enlisted Leader of IAAFA, shook hands with each graduating member and pinned them with IAAFA’s wings, a pin awarded to IAAFA graduates that’s commonly recognized throughout Latin America.
Lutton congratulated the graduates and emphasized IAAFA’s key pillars of developing dynamic leaders, strengthening Inter-American partnership and commitment to strategic objectives of shared values of peace and freedom.
“They are critical not only for us as a military, but more importantly they’re critical for your family, they’re critical for your community and they’re critical for our nation, so thank you for taking that charge on.”
Lutton emphasized that understanding cultural communication is critical to navigating the geopolitical landscape and supporting national and international security efforts. He also urged students to keep in contact with one another.
“Your shared experience with your classmates, you’ll remember that long after anything I say,” he said. “Please stay in touch…you have the technology to stay in touch even more that you have in the past, please utilize that not only to build your friendship, but utilize that to solve problems.”
He reminded graduates that “we operate together as a joint force, but we also operate together as partners and I think it is critical for programs like IAAFA to thrive, exist, expand to build those partnerships, so they actually deter conflict and promote peace and stability.”
The Inter-American Air Forces Academy is part of the 37th Training Wing. IAAFA teaches professional military education, technical training and aircrew training. It is the only Air Force institution that teaches courses in Spanish to more than 23 partner nations across the Western Hemisphere.
Top performing students were recognized at the banquet, including Senior Airman Reginaldo Gutierrez Martinez, student in IALC and Tech. Sgt. Marco Small Gonzalez of INCOC. Gutierrez and Small were awarded the John Levitow Award, which is the highest honor presented to a graduate of Air Force Enlisted professional military education. It is named in honor of John Lee Levitow who was the first enlisted member of the U.S. Air Force to receive the Medal of Honor.