Air Education and Training Command

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Air Education and Training Command
Shield of Air Education and Training Command
Active22 January 1942 – present
(82 years, 3 months)
Detailed
  • 1 July 1993 – present (as Air Education and Training Command)
    1 July 1946 – 1 July 1993 (as Air Training Command)
    31 July 1943 – 1 July 1946 (as Army Air Forces Training Command)
    15 March 1942 – 31 July 1943 (as Army Air Forces Flying Training Command)
    22 January 1942 – 15 March 1942 (as Army Air Corps Flying Training Command)[1]
Country
DA-20,[8] T-1A, T-6A, T-38C, T-41, T-51, T-53A, TG-15A/B, TG-16A[9]
TransportC-17A, C-130J, CV-22B, UV-18B
TankerHC-130J/P/N, KC-46A, KC-135R, MC-130H/J/P

The Air Education and Training Command (AETC) is one of the nine

Air University
.

AETC is headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. AETC is the primary training and professional education command in the Air Force.

More than 48,000 active duty and Air Reserve Component members and 14,000 civilian personnel make up AETC. The command has responsibility for approximately 1,600 aircraft.

AETC's mission is to "recruit, train and educate Airmen to deliver air power for America."

Air Force Recruiting Service

AETC's mission begins with the Air Force Recruiting Service (AFRS), an AETC activity also headquartered at

Randolph AFB, Texas. AFRS comprises three regional groups and 24 squadrons with more than 1,400 commissioned officer and enlisted recruiters assigned throughout the United States, England, Germany, Japan, Puerto Rico and Guam
. Recruiters in more than 1,000 offices worldwide recruit the young men and women needed as both enlisted airmen and commissioned officers to meet the demands of the U.S. Air Force.

AFRS recruitment of commissioned officers is limited to 4-year college/university graduates via

AFROTC
) are not recruited by AFRS and are instead accessed via recruitment and application activities of USAFA and AFROTC, respectively.

Basic military training and technical training

Second Air Force (2 AF), with headquarters at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, is responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and technical training for non-flying missile launch officers, as well as support officers. The first stop for all Regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command enlisted personnel is Basic Military Training (BMT) at Lackland AFB, Texas. More than 36,000 new airmen complete this recently lengthened eight-and-a-half-week program each year.

After completing BMT, airmen begin technical training in their career field specialties, primarily at five installations:

security forces
, air traffic control, personnel, intelligence, fire fighting, weather forecasting and space and missile operations.

Commissioned officers not assigned to flight training as prospective pilots, combat systems officers or air battle managers attend technical training courses for similar career fields at the same locations.

2 AF also conducts specialized training for military working dogs and dog handlers at Lackland AFB, Texas, for the entire Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration. Additionally, the Inter-American Air Forces Academy[10] at Lackland AFB hosts more than 160 courses in aviation specialties, taught in Spanish, to students from 19 Western hemisphere countries.

Flying training

When AETC was established in 1993,

numbered air force to 2 AF within AETC. While 2 AF focused on ground-based technical training, 19 AF focused on all undergraduate flying training and those formal training units (FTU) under its claimancy from 1993 until 2012, and again from 2014 to present. On 12 July 2012, 19 AF was temporarily inactivated for budgetary reasons in an effort to gain efficiencies. By 2014, these efficiencies had failed to materialize and the then-Commander of AETC, Gen Robin Rand, directed reestablishment of 19 AF effective 1 October 2014 for the oversight of all flight training operations under AETC's claimancy.[11][12]

Pilot training

Air Force pilot candidates begin their flying careers with

Air Force OTS
.

Following successful completion of IFS, student pilots attend either:

  • Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT)
  • Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT)

Primary Training – SUPT

SUPT students accomplish primary training in the

T-6A Texan II
at one of three Air Force bases:

Between 1994 and 2013, SUPT was titled JSUPT for "Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training" and 100 USAF students annually accomplished primary training in the

T-6A Texan II with the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance Air Force Base. This program was terminated on 25 July 2013 with the graduation of the final USAF student pilot from primary training at NAS Whiting Field.[13]

Primary Training – ENJJPT

ENJJPT students accomplish primary training in the

T-6A Texan II
at the following location:

The entire ENJJPT course lasts about 54 weeks and students learn with, and are taught by, officers of the U.S. Air Force and various European air forces. During the primary phase, students master contact, instrument, low-level and formation flying.

Advanced Training – Fighter/Bomber (ENJJPT + SUPT)

After the primary phase of SUPT and ENJJPT, student pilots select one of three advanced training tracks based on their class standing. Those qualified for fighter or bomber assignments are assigned to the fighter/bomber track and train in the

B-52
.

NOTE: The

U-2 is not an option for new graduates of the Fighter/Bomber track. Prospective U-2 pilots must be qualified in another fighter, bomber, reconnaissance or mobility aircraft before applying to fly the U-2. First Assignment Instructor Pilots (FAIPs) are also eligible to apply following their FAIP assignment.[14]

Advanced Training – Airlift/Tanker (SUPT only)

Prospective airlift, tanker and "big wing" reconnaissance and special mission pilots are assigned to the airlift/tanker track and train in the

OC-135
.

Prior to mid-2012, some USAF student pilots selected for the airlift/tanker track with specific assignment to the

USCG
flight instructors with Training Air Wing FOUR at NAS Corpus Christi. This program was discontinued in 2012 and all USAF student pilots slated for the C-130 and its variants now train in the T-1A at one of the three SUPT bases.

NOTE: The

VC-25/Air Force One, C-32, C-40
, etc., are not options for new graduates of the Airlift/Tanker track. Prospective E-4 and VC-25/C-32/C-40 pilots must be qualified in an airlift, tanker, or other intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft before applying to fly the E-4 or any SAM aircraft.

Advanced Training – Helicopter (SUPT only)

Those selected to fly helicopters or

CV-22 Osprey
.

Combat Systems Officer Training

Undergraduate Combat Systems Officer Training – UCSOT

Previously known as

E-6 Mercury
, etc.) under the dual-designation of Interservice Undergraduate Navigator Training (IUNT).

A T-43A of the 562d Flight Training Squadron taxiing at RAF Fairford, England

As part of this transition, AETC opted to implement a dual training track whereby most USAF and all land-based USN and

OC-135
aircraft.

At the same time, a pre-selected cohort of USAF officer student navigators destined as

USAF and USMC
instructors.

In 2009, with the transition of all USAF Navigators to

BRAC directives, the 12 FTW established the 479th Flying Training Group (479 FTG) with two flying training squadrons and an operations support squadron as a geographically-separated unit (GSU) at Naval Air Station Pensacola
, Florida.

Pursuant to USAF policy changes, AETC and CNATRA also discontinued joint training at Training Air Wing SIX with the establishment of the 479 FTG. Although NAS Pensacola remains the principal base for Student

T-43 Bobcat
aircraft retired.

Starting in the summer of 2010, following completion of

EA-6B Prowlers and the USAF now provides a few CSOs to four of the USN's thirteen Electronic Attack Squadrons flying the EA-18G Growler
. Those four squadrons are land based and do not deploy aboard aircraft carriers.

Air Battle Manager Training

Robins AFB
, Georgia, with the 330 Combat Training Squadron respectively. ABMs also receive their follow on simulator and live control training for the CRC at Luke AFB, AZ with the 607th Air Control Squadron.

Enlisted Aircrew Training

AETC also provides enlisted aircrew training for a wide variety of aircrew specialties including flight engineers, air-to-air refueling boom operators, loadmasters, aerial gunners, and airborne communications specialists as follows:

Formal Training Unit

Air Education and Training Command also provides follow-on training for most Air Force pilots, CSOs and enlisted aircrew in their assigned aircraft via Formal Training Units (FTUs). For those pilots and CSOs selected for assignment to fighter aircraft, they will complete the Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) course, an AETC-administered program, at Randolph AFB, Texas, Columbus AFB, Mississippi, or Sheppard AFB, Texas, shortly following completion of undergraduate flying training and prior to reporting to their FTU. At IFF, pilots fly the

AT-38B Talon
.

  • Air Education and Training Command FTUs:
    • Kingsley Field ANGB, Oregon; conducted by an AETC-gained fighter wing of the Oregon Air National Guard
    • Tucson Air National Guard Base
      , Arizona
      • Training at Luke is conducted by an AETC fighter wing and an AETC-gained fighter wing of the Air Force Reserve Command;
      • Training at Lackland AFB/Kelly Field (former Kelly AFB) is conducted by an AETC-gained fighter wing of the Texas Air National Guard
        • Both units at Luke AFB and Lackland AFB/Kelly Field train Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard personnel for the F-16C and F-16D
      • Training at Tucson ANGB is conducted by an AETC-gained fighter wing of the Arizona Air National Guard focusing on international (NATO/Allied/Coalition) pilot training in support of the F-16 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program
    • Luke AFB
      , Arizona
    • Kelly AFB
      )
      • Training conducted by an AETC-gained airlift wing of the Air Force Reserve Command; this unit trains Air Force and Air Force Reserve personnel for the C-5 and previously trained Air National Guard personnel for the C-5 until retirement of the C-5 from the ANG
    • Altus AFB
      , Oklahoma
    • Keesler AFB
      , Mississippi
    • Little Rock AFB
      , Arkansas
    • KC-135 Stratotanker
      – Altus AFB, Oklahoma
    • KC-46 Pegasus
      – Altus AFB, Oklahoma
    • Kirtland AFB
      , New Mexico
    • UH-1
      N Twin Huey – Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
    • HH-60G Pave Hawk
      and HH-60W Jolly Green II – Kirtland AFB, New Mexico
    • CV-22 Osprey
      – Kirtland AFB, Mexico
    • Randolph AFB
      , Texas

FTUs not under AETC claimancy are:

Air University

graduate education
and professional continuing education for officers, senior enlisted members and DoD and DAFC civilians throughout their careers.

USAF Commissioned Officer Accession & Training

Air University also has responsibility for all Air Force officer accession and training other than those officers accessed and commissioned the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). This is conducted via AU's subordinate activity, the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development (Holm Center), formerly the Air Force Officer Accession and Training Schools (AFOATS).

As an AU activity, the Holm Center oversees both the

Maxwell AFB
, Alabama.

Professional Military Education (PME) and Graduate and Continuing Education

Air University's professional military education schools prepare students from the Air Force, its sister services and both NATO and other U.S.-allied nations as they progress through their careers. Emphasis in these programs includes leadership, military doctrine and air power.

The three primary PME schools are:

  • Squadron Officer School (SOS), an approximately two-month leadership development program primarily for USAF company grade officers (First Lieutenants (O-2) and Captains (O-3)); attendance is also open to US civil service (primarily DAFC) in grades GS-11 and GS-12
  • Air Command and Staff College (ACSC), an approximately year long joint "intermediate" service college program for officers of all services in the rank of (or selected for) Major (O-4), Lieutenant Commander (O-4) in the Navy and Coast Guard, other Allied military equivalents, or US civil service GS-13, primarily DAFC, DoD, DHS and NASA
  • USAF Air War College (AWC), an approximately year long joint "senior" service college program for officers in the rank of (or selected for) Lieutenant Colonel (O-5), Commander (O-5) in the Navy and Coast Guard, other Allied military equivalents, or US civil service GS-14. Officers in the grade of Colonel (O-6), Captain (O-6) in the Navy and Coast Guard, and US civil service GS-15 (primarily DAFC, DoD, DHS and NASA) may also attend AWC in residence, although this is usually due to previous completion of AWC via correspondence or seminar, career timing, or early promotion.

Air University oversees the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), the Air Force's primary institution for graduate and continuing education. Approximately 700 full-time students, most of whom are Air Force and Space Force officers, pursue both master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees through the institute's Graduate School of Education and Management. The School of Systems and Logistics, the Civil Engineer School, and the School of Strategic Force Studies provides opportunities for acquisition management, logistics management, civil engineering, and nuclear and cyber professional and continuing education.

Air Force Junior ROTC

Air University also oversees one of Air Force's two civilian participatory programs,

Air Force Junior ROTC. Civil Air Patrol was moved under Air Combat Command in 2016:[15]

  • The
    Air Force Junior ROTC
     program is a cadet program for high school students at more than 870 high schools in the United States and at Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS) locations overseas. AFJROTC Instructors are retired USAF officers in the ranks of Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel, assisted by retired USAF non-commissioned officers in the ranks of Technical Sergeant through Chief Master Sergeant.
    • As opposed to its college/university counterpart,
      Air Force ROTC
      (AFROTC), the AFJROTC program is not a military pre-commissioning program for prospective USAF officers, but is instead a citizenship program for youth similar to, but with an overall narrower age range than, the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program.

AFJROTC are subordinate to the Jeanne M. Holm Center for Officer Accessions and Citizen Development (Holm Center).

Other academic support services at Air University include the Academic Instructor School, the Air Force Public Affairs Center of Excellence, the Muir S. Fairchild Research Information Center (formerly known as Air University Library) and the International Officer School.

Bases

AETC has claimancy and oversight of the following installations:

AETC is also a major tenant at

Vandenberg SFB
, CA.

Units


Medical services

The Air Force's two largest medical facilities belong to AETC: the

Keesler AFB
, Mississippi.

History

For a history prior to 1993, see Air Training Command

On 1 January 1993, Air Training Command absorbed Air University and changed the command designation to Air Education and Training Command (AETC). AETC assumed responsibilities for both aspects of career development: training and education. Missions such as combat crew training, pararescue, and combat controller training, and (later) space training transferred to the new command, so that airmen would report to their operational units mission ready.

Restructuring the command assumed priority among the issues facing the command staff. The introduction of three new training aircraft, the

Chanute AFB, Illinois (a major technical training center); Mather AFB, California (previously USAF's sole Undergraduate Navigator Training base) and Williams AFB
, Arizona (an Undergraduate Pilot Training base) were major challenges following the establishment of AETC.

In 1994, AETC adopted the Objective Wing Concept and stood up several wings responsible for crew training in the F-16, special operations aircraft, airlift aircraft, the KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft, and space and missile operations. AETC also began the first Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) and Joint-SUPT courses.

Reese AFB
, Texas, an Undergraduate Pilot Training base, in 1995. The transition to SUPT was completed in 1996, the delivery of the first JPATS aircraft in 1999, and the discontinuation of the controversial T-3 as an initial flight screening aircraft in 2000 following a higher than average fatal mishap record.

In response to the

T-6 Texan II
in 2007.

List of Commanders

Lt Gen Brian S. Robinson receives the AETC command guidon from Air Force chief of staff General Charles Q. Brown Jr. on May 20, 2022.
No. Commander Term
Portrait Name Took office Left office Term length
1
Henry Viccellio Jr.
General
Henry Viccellio Jr.		11 December 199220 June 19952 years, 191 days
2
Billy J. Boles
General
Billy J. Boles		20 June 199517 March 19971 year, 270 days
3
Lloyd W. Newton
General
Lloyd W. Newton		17 March 199722 June 20003 years, 97 days
4
Hal M. Hornburg
General
Hal M. Hornburg		22 June 200010 November 20011 year, 141 days
–
John D. Hopper Jr.
Lieutenant General
John D. Hopper Jr.
Acting		10 November 200115 December 200135 days
5
Donald G. Cook
General
Donald G. Cook		15 December 200117 June 20053 years, 184 days
6
William R. Looney III
General
William R. Looney III		17 June 20052 July 20083 years, 15 days
7
Stephen R. Lorenz
General
Stephen R. Lorenz		2 July 200817 November 20102 years, 138 days
8
Edward A. Rice Jr.
General
Edward A. Rice Jr.		17 November 201010 October 20132 years, 327 days
9
Robin Rand
General
Robin Rand		10 October 201321 July 20151 year, 284 days
10
Darryl L. Roberson
Lieutenant General
Darryl L. Roberson		21 July 201516 November 20172 years, 118 days
11
Steven L. Kwast
Lieutenant General
Steven L. Kwast		16 November 201726 July 20191 year, 252 days
12
Marshall B. Webb
Lieutenant General
Marshall B. Webb		26 July 201920 May 20222 years, 298 days
13
Brian S. Robinson
Lieutenant General
Brian S. Robinson		20 May 2022Incumbent1 year, 340 days

Lineage

  • Established as Air Corps Flying Training Command on 23 January 1942
  • Redesignated as Army Air Forces Flying Training Command on or about 15 March 1942
  • Redesignated as Army Air Forces Training Command on 31 July 1943
  • Redesignated as Air Training Command (ATC) on 1 July 1946
  • Redesignated as Air Education and Training Command (AETC) on 1 July 1993

See also

  • AETC Studies and Analysis

U.S. Armed Forces training and education commands

Bibliography

  • Manning, Thomas A (2005). History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Randolph Air Force Base, Tex. : Office of History and Research, Headquarters, Air Education and Training Command.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Air Education and Training Command (USAF)".
  2. ^ "AETC updates mission, vision statements".
  3. ^ "Facts and figures" (PDF). www.airforcemag.com. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  4. ^ "AETC reflects on the value of duty within the First Command".
  5. ^ "Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson: "Airpower starts here"".
  6. ^ "Pilot Opportunities". www.173fw.ang.af.mil.
  7. ^ "Kirtland Air Force Base > Units > 150th Special Operations Wing". www.kirtland.af.mil.
  8. ^ "Arrival guide" (PDF). www.dossaviation.com.
  9. ^ "USAF Academy Aircraft Identification". www.usafa.af.mil.
  10. ^ "37th Training Wing – Inter-American Air Forces Academy". Archived from the original on 14 February 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Military Report - AF Reactivates 19th Air Force". Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  12. ^ "19th AF activates under AETC > U.S. Air Force > Article Display". Af.mil. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  13. ^ "Air Force / Navy student exchange ends at Whiting Field". Milton Local. 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  14. ^ "Fact Sheets : U-2 Pilot Application : U-2 Pilot Application". Archived from the original on 24 January 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  15. ^ "Air Force Magazine". Airforcemag.com. 29 June 2016. Retrieved 24 September 2018.

Sources

  • Much of this text in an early version of this article was taken from pages on the Air Education and Training Command, website, which as a work of the U.S. Government is presumed to be a
    public domain resource
    .

External links

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