Nuclear Deterrence Beta Course

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kristoffer Kaubisch
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The United States Air Force Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies is working with Air Force Global Strike Command on the development for nuclear professional education.

The purpose of this development is to bring the instructor to the students to save the Air Force money.

Minot Air Force Base was selected to be the sole beta test location for the nuclear deterrence basic course proposal.

"The purpose of this beta test is to get the student's feedback and validation of this proposed course," said John Oblinger, United States Air Force Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies contractor. "It was an easier opportunity to come to the installation where there is a wide breath of professional experienced people who are actually working on the nuclear deterrence mission."

The beta test is the final stages of the program. The course took place Oct. 1, 2015 and was a big success.

"The beta test went phenomenal and we received excellent feedback," Oblinger said. "This test exceeded our expectations, anytime you develop and write a new course, it is undetermined on what the outcome is going to be."

Once refined, the new program will offer the opportunity to help incoming AFGSC Airmen understand the vital importance of the nuclear deterrence mission.

"We hope this course will be offered to all officers, enlisted personnel, government civilians and possibly even contractors," Oblinger said. "This will provide them with not just an increased understanding of the nuclear mission but create a network of empowerment to Airmen who are seeking to improve their knowledge and expertise in the profession of military arms."

This was the final step in the development of the course. The USAF Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies will now take the feedback from the participants, refine it and provide a report to the nonconventional weapons studies director, who will take it to GSC for consideration on how they would like to execute what the USAF Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies has developed.

"In a nutshell, we're bringing multiple functions, Air Force Specialty Code's from across the nuclear spectrum, into a course that provides them different perspectives of what it's like to be doing that other job," Oblinger said.