When I transferred from the Army to the Air Force in the late 90s I was struck by how deeply commercial business practices had infiltrated the air component. There was Total Quality Management and references to the “corporate Air Force” along with a slew of other tells.
One of the most subtle points remained long after I had retired. It is how enlisted personnel are categorized. They are referred to as a “helper,” “apprentice,” “journeyman,” “craftsman,” or “superintendent” depending on their skill level.
This spilled over into duty titles and it struck me as odd that the senior NCO in a Flight was referred to as a Superintendent even in the ground Combat units I was assigned to. I think it undermined, at least on some level, the concept of enlisted leadership, replacing it with a civilian management title.
But lo and behold, with a simple memo, the Air Force has done away with the duty title of “Superintendent,” replacing it with “Senior Enlisted Leader” for senior NCOs at the Detachment, Squadron and Group levels. Hopefully, other duty titles will change as well to reflect the significant role the incumbent is expected to fulfill.
A lot is broken in the Air Force’s enlisted promotion system and its associated trouble with growing leaders, but this is a good start at making amends. The title is now Leader and they need to put leaders in those jobs. It’s time to focus on the mission and subordinates instead of the “what’s in it for me” mentality created by WAPS.