CCAF: Unlocking doors of opportunity

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stephanie Hammer
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (USAFENS) --  Many military members could be closer than they think to a degree from the Community College of the Air Force.

Between work, family, TDYs and deployments, many military members may feel as though they do not have enough time to finish their degree.

“One of the biggest obstacles is discouragement,” said Tiffany Dalmida, the Community College of the Air Force adviser here. “Whether it is for scheduling reasons or lack of classes, they get discouraged and feel as though it’s unattainable.”

At this point, Mrs. Dalmida said it is her job to remind them of all the options they have. The CCAF can be obtained outside the classroom. Distance education and credits by examination are available through the education office.

Another program helping Airmen achieve their education goals is an U.S. Air Forces in Europe initiative called Combat Education. The program’s goal is to remove barriers that hinder Airmen in USAFE from pursuing their educational goals.

Mission requirements and operations tempo can make the pursuit of higher education difficult. However, Combat Education seeks to counter those obstacles through innovative and flexible class scheduling and locations along with improved computer access through Learning Resource Centers throughout the command.

“The previous command chief here sat me down one day and told me if I want to be competitive when I test for senior master sergeant, I would have to complete my CCAF,” said Master Sgt. Roberta Williams, 39th Mission Support Squadron career assistance adviser. “The first thing I did was go to the education center to try and CLEP (College Level Examination Program) the three classes I was missing.”

Mrs. Dalmida said another obstacle people face when trying to complete their CCAF is not knowing what classes they need to take or how to go about taking them.

“The first step is making an appointment to see a CCAF adviser,” she said. “They, in turn, will explain to you what your requirements are, how many credits you have completed and how you can go about fulfilling outstanding requirements.

“They can also assist students with prior college credits by getting their transcripts sent to CCAF so they don’t duplicate any classes which would waste their time,” she continued.

Because Sergeant Williams only passed her English CLEP, she was still two classes from finishing her CCAF: math and speech. The next step was to register to take the classes.

“University of Maryland University College offered a speech class, so I signed up for that," she said. "My friend talked me into taking the math class with Embry-Riddle during the same term as the speech class. Here I was, years out of school and taking two classes in one semester. Luckily, I passed.”

Sergeant Williams said getting a CCAF degree is important when it comes to competing for rank, and if she could do it, so could anyone else.

“Having a degree of some sort, whether CCAF or civilian, makes you stand out among the crowd,” said Mrs. Dalmida. “When the opportunity for promotion comes around, (a degree) distinguishes you from the other possible candidates. Having your CCAF also says, ‘I am interested in my future and I am actively pursing a higher education to better myself and my future.’”

Education does not stop after receiving your CCAF degree, said Chief Master Sgt. Ray Allen, 39th Air Base Wing command chief master sergeant.

“Pursuing a higher degree is something I encourage everyone to do,” he said. “The Air Force has many programs in place to help pay for it and the education office is staffed with many knowledgeable individuals to help work around schedules.

“An education will give you the keys to unlock more doors in your future,” he continued. “Don’t throw away the keys.”