Pictured (left to right) are Dr. Jim Henderson, Louisiana Tech University President; Dr. Rick Bateman, Jr., BPCC Chancellor; and Kevin Nolten, Cyber Innovation Center President.
Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC), the Cyber Innovation Center, and Louisiana Tech University are collaborating on a curriculum that will serve as the model for digital fluency across the Air Force and Department of Defense.
The Digital Education Training for Enhanced Readiness (DETER) will increase digital fluency among Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) Airmen while instilling a culture of data proficiency among action officers (AO) for informed and fact-based decisions.
Administered by the CIC through a partnership intermediary agreement with AFGSC, DETER will consist of BPCC instructors leading 4-day, in-person, small group bootcamps for enhanced comprehension and Louisiana Tech Research Institute (LTRI) providing further curriculum and training to grow skills, including industry-based certifications.
“This type of collaboration among regional higher education institutions showcases the commitment of northwest Louisiana to our military and national defense,” said Kevin Nolten, CIC president. “I am honored to play a small part with our partners at Louisiana Tech and BPCC in leveraging our resources and talent to serve the Airmen of Barksdale Air Force Base.”
The modular courses will be offered to all AOs when joining AFGSC Headquarters at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, to supplement the current AO curriculum and would cover applications and job functions that a typical AO would need to perform typical daily tasks. Introductory, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert level modules will range from basic digital fluency skills to data analysis and advanced functionalities of PowerBI.
“Digital fluency is an essential skill for anyone living and working in the modern era especially our military,” Louisiana Tech President Jim Henderson said. “This is yet another opportunity to build on our longstanding partnership with Air Force Global Strike Command and Bossier Parish Community College. DETER’s overall goal is to essentially shorten the learning curve for Airmen entering AFGSC so they are fully equipped to start their career path.”
“We are thrilled to partner with the CIC, LTRI, and AFGSC on this groundbreaking endeavor,” said Dr. Rick Bateman, chancellor of BPCC. “By harnessing the power of digital education, we can empower our nation’s defense personnel with the skills needed to excel in an increasingly complex digital landscape.”
Once launched later this year, the program’s future will be to iterate its curriculum and scale across the entire command.