Leadership Pathways: Earn a day off through education Published May 22, 2013 By Airman 1st Class Sean Danker-Smith Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Minot Airmen have a way to get a day off that they may not know about. The Leadership Pathways program offers a list of self-development classes that gives Airmen credit toward squadron, group and wing level recognition, including a one-day pass from work. "Our goal is to help Airmen and their spouses, who could also be civilians and retirees, to enhance their basic life skills. We want them to be more resilient, be more productive, be happier -- essentially build their sense of community and quality of life," said Cindy Whitesell, Minot Air Force Base Community Support Coordinator. The program comes from the Air Force Community Action Information Board, and offers more than thirty classes across a variety of topics, ranging from Stress Management and Marriage Care to Home Buying and Goal Setting. The classes are intended to be a relaxed environment, where Airmen can be away from the stresses of military life and focus on achieving their self-development goals. The reward of a day off is meant to get Airmen to pursue these opportunities on their own, without pressure from their supervisors. Taking eight hours of classes earns individuals a squadron-level certificate; fifteen hours, a group-level certificate; and twenty hours, a wing-level certificate and a day off. Base leadership firmly believes in encouraging programs that help establish resiliency in Minot Airmen. Leadership Pathways is only one of numerous programs aimed at giving Airmen and their families a way to cultivate a healthy home life before problems arise. Whitesell says Leadership Pathways is all about opportunities. "The program includes classes from various helping agencies on base -- it could be the Health and Wellness Center, chaplain's services, Family Advocacy, Mental Health, the Airman and Family Readiness Center, Equal Opportunity... there's just a wealth of information out there that people are interested in, and often they don't know that these classes exist," Whitesell explained. "There's that false perception of 'gee, if I sign up for that, somebody might think there's something wrong with me.' We just want people to know that this is a great opportunity for them." A full list of the classes offered, along with class times and sign-up information is available at the base Web site on the Leadership Pathways fact page: http://www.minot.af.mil/units/resiliency.asp