YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Master Sgt. Scott Holmes, 337th Air Support Flight senior enlisted leader, completed the Royal Australian Air Force Professional Military Education Level 4 Leadership course at the School of Postgraduate Studies at RAAF Base Wagga, Australia, July 14 – 23. This marks the first time a United States Air Force member has attended the program.
This bilateral training opportunity allowed Holmes to integrate into the Australian PME system to study allied leadership frameworks and build interoperability between the partner air forces.
“By training directly inside allied PME programs like the RAAF's, our Airmen build critical cultural fluency and a shared operational mindset with our most vital partners,” said Lt. Col. David Phetmixay, 337 ASUF commander. “This direct immersion ensures we are not just allies on paper, but seamlessly integrated warfighters in practice.”
The ten-day course focused on deepening understanding of RAAF leadership frameworks and military culture at the senior non-commissioned officer and field grade officer levels. For the course capstone, Holmes and his group developed a culture change initiative focused on establishing a warfighting mindset within the RAAF. The group integrated course competencies, including transformational leadership, mission command, risk analysis, and the Australian Defence Force's ethical decision-making framework, into a final briefing presented to schoolhouse leadership.
Holmes completed the course alongside RAAF and Republic of Singapore Air Force classmates.
“The part of the course that really challenged me was our discussions on ethical decision-making,” said Holmes. “We went through several complex scenarios where there wasn't a clear right or wrong answer, and you had to make high stakes calls as a leader. It made me realize that while our core military values are nearly identical, our cultural lenses can lead us to different solutions for the same problem.”
Holmes’s graduation established a precedent for future USAF personnel to attend RAAF Level 2, 3, and 4 PME courses.
“As we face evolving regional challenges, continuous bilateral training will be the bedrock of our combined strength,” said Phetmixay. “We must keep pushing our Airmen to lead and learn shoulder-to-shoulder with our Australian partners.”
To assist future U.S. military personnel in Australia, Holmes is developing a Military Personnel Exchange Program transition guide based on the core competencies taught at the PME. The document is designed to brief inbound personnel on RAAF mission command, ethical frameworks, and organizational culture prior to their arrival in Australia.
“Working with our Australian allies has honestly been one of the highlights of my career,” said Holmes. “They are incredibly professional, highly capable military, and they treat you like family from day one. There is a real sense of 'mateship' that goes beyond just wearing a uniform, it's a deep, mutual respect. Having this opportunity proved to me that when we train together, we know exactly how to integrate and execute the mission when it matters most.”