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It is another day at the Kisling NCO Academy for an ambitious senior NCO. He sits at his desk cluttered with homework, notebooks and pens in an attempt to understand and learn how to interact with and relate to Airmen.
What sets him apart from the 15 other students wearing the recognizable sage green, tiger-striped U.S. Air Force uniform surrounding him is the Ukrainian flag Velcroed on the side of his sleeve.
Ukrainian army Senior Praporshchik (chief master sergeant equivalent) Roman Kuzmenko is a senior enlisted adviser who was born in Slavyansk, Ukraine, and lived in the Crimea peninsula for 15 years, both areas dominated by Russian culture.
“I like Ukraine and I like the culture,” he said. “I have patriotic feelings toward Ukraine, because I want my children to grow up there. I want to improve the country.”
When the conflict started, Kuzmenko’s family severed ties with him for staying loyal to Ukraine.
“My mother, brother and grandfather currently live in the conflict zones,” said Kuzmenko slowly with a slight pause. “I am the only one who is fighting against the Russian invasion.”
Kuzmenko is attending the U.S. Air Force Kisling NCO Academy on Kapaun Air Station to learn alongside his U.S. Air Force peers.
Kuzmenko served his country when Crimea was annexed. This led him to a new position with the Ukrainian joint staff as an NCO development specialist.
Working with the new department offered him an opportunity — a chance to improve his skills with the Air Force.
Kuzmenko entered the NCO Academy in August as the first full-time Ukrainian student. His studies at Kisling were part of an agreement between the Department of Defense and European and African nations to develop and train NCOs.
“I understand that it’s very important to know the personal values and how to operate with this knowledge in our relationships, teams, environment and inside our units,” Kuzmenko said.
Kuzmenko said he may be facing more than the separatist forces when he returns home to develop a Ukrainian NCO corps, which was originally modeled after the Soviet Army.
“We have to grow our military, and we will do it,” he said.
But on the other side, he said there may be pressure and natural resistance to change.
“I need to share the ideas I learned (at NCOA) in the right way … because we can’t change in one day,” Kuzmenko said. “I need to adapt the ideas to my nation’s mindset, environment and to our military experience.”
Kuzmenko received his graduation diploma alongside 14 other Airmen Thursday.
