WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The National Air and Space Intelligence Center recently concluded its "UpSkills" professional development week at various locations across Wright-Patterson Air Force Base from April 20-24.
UpSkills Week is more than just a training schedule, it’s a no-cost program designed to provide NASIC members with specialized knowledge across a wide range of mission-essential and educational topics. The program is designed to bridge the gap between daily tasks and specialized expertise, offering military and civilian personnel the space to grow.
“The goal of UpSkills is to give our members an opportunity to ‘level-up’ their knowledge, skills, and abilities through no-cost opportunities,” said Caryn Snyder, Workforce Development management and program analyst. “The weeklong event provides insights into numerous topics that benefit personnel regardless of the uniform they wear or the role they hold.”
One of the featured courses, “Introduction to the NASIC Unified Cloud, MRE Platform, and NASIC Object Transfer Service,” provided learners with more than just technical instructions – it focused on the reasoning and problem-solving approaches that make these technologies valuable in real-world mission applications.
As the Center’s requirements have evolved, the UpSkills program has adapted to meet new challenges.
“UpSkills began as a way for NASIC to teach NASIC, covering essential skills and sharing knowledge to develop our personnel,” Snyder said. “That remains the focus today. The Training and Development Division continues to use data from course evaluations and Center-wide needs assessments to schedule courses that reflect the desire for members to share their expertise.”
To keep pace with shifting technology and industry standards, the program included courses focused on how NASIC is meeting and exceeding those benchmarks.
“We believe that skills and knowledge around Kubernetes and cloud environments, particularly in a specialized context like NASIC, are essential for anyone in the industry today,” said Josh Howard, a platform team lead in the Cyberspace Capabilities Division. “These tools are not just powerful, they’re rapidly becoming industry standards. By teaching this course, we help others develop expertise in a growing field and ensure they’re equipped to solve upcoming challenges NASIC may face.”
Micah Price, an electronics engineer with the Electromagnetic Systems Analysis Squadron, explained how the classes are a great opportunity even if they don’t pertain directly to a member's daily job.
“I think UpSkills are a great way to ‘pull the thread’ for deeper learning,” Price said. “In my classes, I’ve appreciated the ability to have crosstalk and learn from the experiences of classmates as well as instructors.”
The mission never stops evolving, and members encouraged to remain active in their professional journey. NASIC personnel can stay up to date on the UpSkills Week schedule and future offerings by visiting the A1D SharePoint page.