Anbody been through the USAFA and had good/bad experiences with training NCOs? I am contemplating applying for the positions there, but wanted to dip a toe into the water and see if it is cold or warm first...
Do you mean the Academy Military Trainer program? (Working with another NCO and officer to oversee a cadet squadron)
I'd say it depends on how much of a "people person" you are. AMTs have a lot of influence on the development of the cadets, but also have to deal with the ones who cause trouble (and some of us do some stupid stuff here and there).
It really depends on how you are. I had one AMT who was a fairly significant influence on me. He got out of his office a LOT and watched/advised/corrected frequently. Others don't do so much, thus they don't hold much influence. It also depends on the squadron. Some squads want the AMTs to be very active, but others only want a detached supervision.
Cadets are supposed to run the squad. Honestly if you want an easy assignment come be an AMT. All you do is call cadets out and take to long to sign our paperwork.
On another note I see you are SF, every SF AMT I have had experience with has been awesome. My experience with them is why I am trying for the SF career field.
All of the AMT's that I had were incredible people who really inspired all of us and I think that is important. All of the cadets will one day leading NCO's like our AMT's and it's good to have respect for them. A couple of guys in my graduating class even had our AMT commission them.
AMTs are here to be supervisors/advisors. The cadets should be doing most of the leadership within each squadron. AMTs who mentor leadership are usually the most effective, compared to those who try to manage squadron activities themselves. The primary goal is to develop leadership in cadets, so if developing others is your goal, it's highly likely you would be good at the job.
