Air Force Noncommissioned Officer Academy (AFNCOA) (501358)

About the Course

AFNCOA is an innovative blended curriculum designed for E-5 and E-6 personnel who desire a quality joint professional military education (PME) that will contribute significantly to their professional development and challenge them to be effective leaders and innovative risk takers.

Accredited by the College of the Air Force (CCAF), graduates are awarded 5 semester hours of college credit in Leadership and Management II. 

Training Objectives

The Noncommissioned Officer Academy (NCOA) Intermediate Leadership Experience (ILE) provides comprehensive education to prepare enlisted Airmen to be adaptable, ethical, and willing to execute assigned leadership responsibilities to overcome current and future leadership and management challenges in order to effectively operate in complex and ambiguous environments.

AFNCOA is held at McGhee-Tyson ANGB located in Louisville, TN, about 15 minutes outside of Knoxville. This course is ideal for members who desire a quality, joint, professional military education that will contribute significantly to their leader development and challenge them to be effective leaders and innovative risk takers. Students are exposed to five academic disciplines: Profession of Arms, Warfare Studies, Leadership Studies, International Security Studies, and Communication Studies. These disciplines are distributed throughout the four graduate attributes that consist of military professional, operational airman, unit manager, and the managerial communicator. The online version of this course is taught by the same staff at the Barnes Center for EPME and is considered to be the same course

The Noncommissioned Officer Academy (NCOA) Intermediate Leadership Experience (ILE) provides comprehensive education to prepare enlisted Airmen to be adaptable, ethical, and willing to execute assigned leadership responsibilities to overcome current and future leadership and management challenges in order to effectively operate in complex and ambiguous environments. 

Desired Outcomes

• Professional Growth: NCOs equipped to understand and embrace their role in the mission
• Personal Development: Citizen Airmen enabled to leverage military leadership in civilian applications
• Team Building: Leaders prepare to build, direct, and motivate teams for optimal performance
• Critical Thinking: Expert thinkers developed to think outside the box to solve problems
• Skilled Communication: Professionals empowered to deliver quality information, both oral and written
• Valuable Networking: World-wide Airmen linked together to build and maintain life-long connections

Prerequisites

• Be a Senior Petty Officer (Active Duty E-5 and E-6 personnel)
• Have outstanding performance documented (EERs) in Direct Access (DA).
• Be an excellent representative of the U.S. Coast Guard and present a sharp, trim, and fit military appearance.
• Be in compliance with Coast Guard weight standards.
• Be fit for full duty and able to participate in the USAF’s fitness program. Members will be assessed on day 5 using the USAF Fitness Assessment. While not a mandatory requirement for a sister service, members should strive to meet a satisfactory composite score detailed below on the USAF Fitness Assessment. Proper. And be familiar with its requirements.  
• Have one year of obligated service remaining upon graduation as outlined in the Performance, Training and Education Manual, COMDTINST M1500.10C (series).
• Have a workstation away from standard work/duties for the entirety of the course. Online students will be on orders and unable to stand duty or otherwise engage in normal work duties. The online course will be 8 hours a day. It is optimal for students with work from home capability.

Submission Deadline & Guidelines

Nominations for FY25 are due to DPR-5 by August 15, 2024.

• Nominations are handled through the members District Gold Badge.
• For those wishing to attend, inquire with your Silver/Gold badge about the local nomination process and requirements.
• Successful graduation from this academy satisfies the LAMS requirements for advancement eligibility to E-6.
• Members who have previously attended LAMS are eligible to apply.
• The categories of PFA scores are:
  • Excellent (≥ 90)
  • Satisfactory (75 - 89.9)
  • Unsatisfactory (≤ 74.9 and/or any component minimum not met)
• Members receive a composite score from 0 to 100 based on the following maximum component scores:
  • 60 points for Cardiorespiratory
  • 20 points for Muscular Strength
  • 20 points for Core Endurance.

​Resources

AFNCOA Website and Student Guide: EPME (af.mil)

USAF Fitness Information: DAFMAN 36-2905, 3.5.1&2

Air Force Fitness Assessment Scorecard (DAF4446 found at Air Force e-Publishing): Department of the Air Force E-Publishing > Publications + Forms (af.mil)

For information on the selection process on this course, please review the signed PRECEPT.

Convening Dates

Program Manager

SCPO Joe Hoff, phone 202-475-5511, email Joseph.R.Hoff@uscg.mil

More Information

For additional information, please visit the TQC website.