Staff Sgt. Howard Lu works on a real-world area development plan for RAF Feltwell as part of the first off-site offering of AFIT’s Civil Engineer School’s Comprehensive Planning Course (Contributed photo)

What started as a consultation request turned into faculty from the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Civil Engineer School delivering the first off-site offering of their Comprehensive Planning Course (WENG 520).

Traditionally, the course is taught at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, tasking students to create a conceptual area development plan as their class project. When personnel from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, contacted the CE school looking for help to develop a plan for RAF Feltwell, a geographically separated area just north of the base, instructors saw the perfect opportunity to teach with a real-world project.

In January, a team of instructors including Lt. Col. Sean-Michael Kelly, Capt. Andrew Fenner and Capt. Jonathan Sicurella, traveled to Lakenheath to teach personnel how to develop the Feltwell plan themselves.

“The area didn't have much of an identity to it and they didn't have much of a plan as to what it would look like in the future,” Fenner said. “The goal was to create a sense of identity and define the future of how the area develops which perfectly aligned to what we teach in the comprehensive planning course.”

The intensive one-week class included 15 students from Lakenheath, Alconbury, and Mildenhall. The students designed a plan for the space based on physical, economic, political, social, environmental, and cultural considerations.

“The course was all hands-on,” said Sotiria Zafeiriou, a community planner in the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron at Lakenheath. “It allowed us to not only learn but to show our colleagues and leadership how planners make decisions and influence the future of the installation. At the end of the course, not only have we learned but we have also obtained a valuable product made for us, by us.”

Solving a real-world problem as part of the course brought an extra dimension of buy-in from the students. “What really impressed me was the vision that they set up for the base,” Fenner said. “They looked at the space from strategic, operational and tactical standpoints. It was impressive to see them display a solid understanding of mission operation requirements in a planning course like this.”

Students presented their proposed area development plan to base leadership, including Brig. Gen. Joseph Campo, commander of the 48th Fighter Wing at Lakenheath. Teaching personnel how to develop the plan themselves resulted in a more personalized product that reflected understanding of the details and how it leads to informed decisions by leaders.

At the end of the course, the students applied their new base planning knowledge to meet a real-world need and helped to validate the learning concept for instructors.

“Completing the course was an excellent experience,” said Charlotte Dew, community planner, 48th Civil Engineer Squadron. “The course provided a great balance between theory and practice. It was really useful to put new skills into practice by creating a product for RAF Feltwell. I now have the skills to advocate for regulating plans and recognize the importance of them in building a well-planned base.”

Capt. Andrew Fenner talks with students about their real-world area development plan for RAF Feltwell as part of the first off-site offering of AFIT’s Civil Engineer School’s Comprehensive Planning Course (Contributed photo)