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AFGSC launches Striker U

  • Published
  • By 1Lt. Kaylin P. Hankerson
  • Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs

Air Force Global Strike Command launched Striker U August 20, a centralized hub for Striker Airmen to access professional development opportunities, perspective from leadership and other relevant Striker Culture material.

Striker U, which is accessible via an icon on workplace desktops, contains information and curriculum on “Striker Culture,” leadership, and front line leadership tools; as well as archives foundational documents like the National Defense Strategy for Airmen to reference, teach and understand.

“Our Airmen are hungry for development, and this platform will give them instant access to the tools they are searching for,” said Senior Master Sgt. Henry Ricardo, AFGSC training manager.

The site and its tools aim to develop all AFGSC Airmen, regardless of rank or position; useful for enlisted, officer and the command’s civilian workforce.

As a part of the team for the program, Ricardo hopes the platform will spur continuous growth for Strikers across the command, “I’d like to see Airmen finding more opportunities and supervisors growing from the tools. It’s about growing our Strikers every day.”

The vision to develop a centralized hub focused on the professional growth and education of Striker Airmen came from AFGSC Command Chief, CMSgt Charles Hoffman.

“I thought it was vital that there was somewhere dedicated to developing our Airmen as leaders and enabling them to easily access the information necessary to do so,” Hoffman said. “I hope Airmen take advantage of this platform; utilize all the tools Striker U has and will have to offer, dive into the information that is available as an investment in their growth, and that Airmen then contribute back to the knowledge library.”

Hoffman hopes the platform has a ripple effect, “My hope is that this becomes the place where young Striker leaders can leverage quality curriculum to either learn in a self-paced way, or better yet, a place for young leaders to find quality curriculum to coach and deliver to the Airmen they lead.”

Like most ideas, Striker U did not become reality overnight nor without help; Hoffman defers all credit to the dedicated team of Airmen and senior enlisted leaders like Chief Master Sgt. Angenette Caballero, AFGSC personnel division chief enlisted manager, and Staff Sgt. Emahni Jackson, AFGSC non-commissioned officer in charge of knowledge management, who have helped transition Striker U from concept into reality.

“Striker U was developed for Airmen by other Airmen,” Caballero said. “We hope that it provides answers to some questions we know Airmen currently have, and is a go-to resource for questions later to come, but most of all, it continues to evolve with Strikers along the way.”

Jackson, who has been pounding the pavement for the project since February, is proud to be a part of the development team and making a difference for her peers command wide, “I think Striker U makes the professional development that a lot of us Airmen have been looking for within reach and gives us the ability to take charge of how we grow as leaders, teammates and Airmen.”

For more information about Striker U, visit: https://usaf.dps.mil/sites/StrikerU.