Air Education and Training Command
Encyclopedia
Air Education and Training Command (AETC) was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command
and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force
's ten major commands (MAJCOMs) and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force.
AETC is headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base
, Texas. Its commander is General Edward A. Rice
, with Lt. Gen. Douglas H. Owens as vice-commander and Chief Master Sergeant James A. Cody as Command Chief Master Sergeant.
More than 48,000 active-duty members and 14,000 civilian personnel make up AETC. The command has responsibility for approximately 1,600 aircraft.
The command recruits, trains, and educates Airmen for the United States Air Force.
, 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.
, with headquarters at Keesler AFB
, Mississippi, is responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and support officers. The first stop for all Air Force, Air National Guard
and Air Force Reserve Command
enlisted people is basic military training
at Lackland AFB
, Texas. More than 36,000 new airmen will 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: Goodfellow AFB
, Lackland AFB
, and Sheppard AFB
in Texas; Keesler AFB, Miss.; and Vandenberg AFB
, Calif. and there are also cross-service schools such as Defense Language Institute
, Calif and the Army Chemical School located at Fort Leonard Wood
, Missouri
. Each base is responsible for a specific portion of formal technical training airmen require to accomplish the Air Force mission. Instructors conduct technical training in specialties such as aircraft maintenance, electronic principles, air transportation, civil engineering, medical services, computer systems, security forces
, air traffic control, personnel, intelligence, fire fighting, weather forecasting and space and missile operations.
Commissioned officers attend technical training courses for similar career fields at the same locations.
Second Air Force also conducts specialized training for military working dogs and dog handlers at Lackland AFB
, Texas, for the Department of Defense
and the Federal Aviation Administration
. Additionally, the Inter-American Air Forces Academy at Lackland AFB
, Texas, hosts more than 160 courses in aviation specialties, taught in Spanish, to students from 19 Western hemisphere countries.
and the Air Force Chief of Staff General Ronald R. Fogleman approved the following core values for the United States Air Force:
The Air Education and Training Command along with the USAF Academy are responsible for teaching these principles throughout the Air Force.
, with headquarters at Randolph AFB
, Texas, conducts AETC's flying training.
Air Force pilot candidates begin with Initial Flight Screening
(IFS). In IFS, civilian instructors provide up to 25 hours of flight instruction to pilot candidates.
Pilot candidates then attend either Euro-NATO joint jet pilot training (ENJJPT) or joint specialized undergraduate pilot training (JSUPT).
ENJJPT is located at Sheppard AFB
, Texas. The entire course lasts about 54 weeks. Students learn with, and are taught by, officers of the U.S. Air Force and various European air forces. Student pilots first fly the T-6 Texan II
mastering contact, instrument, low-level and formation flying. Next, they train on the supersonic T-38 Talon
and continue building the skills necessary to become a fighter pilot.
JSUPT students accomplish primary training in the T-6 Texan II at one of three Air Force bases -- Columbus AFB
, Miss., Laughlin AFB
, Texas, or Vance AFB
, Oklahoma; or in the T-34C Turbomentor
at Naval Air Station Whiting Field
, Florida. Joint training is conducted at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, and NAS Whiting Field, Florida for students from the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. US Coast Guard student Naval Aviator
s and flight instructors are also incorporated in joint training at NAS Whiting Field, but not at Vance AFB.
During the primary phase of JSUPT, students learn basic flight skills common to all military pilots.
As of 2006, most JSUPT students use the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System during the primary training phase. The aircraft portion of JPATS is the T-6 Texan II
, which is being phased in as the primary trainer replacing the Air Force's T-37 and the Navy's T-34C.
After the primary phase of JSUPT, student pilots elect one of several advanced training tracks based on their class standing.
Prospective airlift and tanker pilots are assigned to the airlift/tanker track, and train in the T-1A Jayhawk at Columbus AFB
, Mississippi, Laughlin AFB
, Texas, or Vance AFB
, Oklahoma. Student pilots headed for bomber or fighter assignments are assigned to the bomber/fighter track, and train in the T-38 Talon
at Columbus, Laughlin or Vance.
While some USAF student pilots will complete the airlift/tanker track in the T-1A Jayhawk and eventually fly the C-130 Hercules
or its variants, other USAF students destined for C-130s will be assigned to a multi-engine turboprop track and fly the T-44
turboprop trainers or TC-12B trainers at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas in a coorperative arrangement between 19 AF and the Naval Air Training Command / Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA). These USAF students will receive instruction from a combination of USN, USAF and USCG instructors at NAS Corpus Christi and will eventually fly the C-130 Hercules
or its associated variants (AC-130, EC-130, HC-130
, LC-130, MC-130, WC-130). A small number of USAF graduates may also be selected to fly the C-12
at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.
Those USAF students selected to fly helicopters are assigned to the helicopter track and fly the UH-1 Huey at Fort Rucker
, Alabama under a joint training arrangement with the US Army. USAF graduates of this program will fly the UH-1N Twin Huey
, HH-60G Pave Hawk or CV-22 Osprey.
Nineteenth Air Force also provides follow-on training for most Air Force pilots in their assigned aircraft. Pilots assigned to fighter aircraft complete the introduction to fighter fundamentals course at Randolph AFB
or Sheppard AFB
, Texas, flying the AT-38B
, and then move on to train in either the A/B or C/D versions of the F-15 Eagle
or the F-22 Raptor
at Tyndall AFB
, Florida., or the F-16 Fighting Falcon
at Luke AFB
, Arizona. Altus AFB
, Oklahoma, hosts training for aircrews assigned to KC-135 Stratotanker
or C-17 Globemaster III
aircraft, while an AETC-gained wing of the Air Force Reserve Command
conducts training for all Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-5 Galaxy
aircrews at Lackland AFB/Kelly Field Annex, Texas. Aircrews assigned to fly the C-130 train at Little Rock AFB
, Arkansas, while aircrews assigned to fly MC-130 Combat Talon I/II, Combat Shadow, and HC-130
aircraft will take initial follow-on training at Little Rock followed by additional follow-on training at a colocated site with UH-1N Twin Huey
and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crews and CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor crews at Kirtland AFB
, New Mexico. Keesler AFB
, Mississippi, provides training for pilots assigned to the C-21, while the US Army
at Fort Rucker
, Alabama provides training for USAF pilots in the C-12
Super King Air.
In addition to pilot training, Nineteenth Air Force provides Combat Systems Officer and Weapons Systems Officer training, formerly known as Undergraduate Navigator Training (UNT). CSO and WSO training are conducted cooperatively by 19 AF and the Naval Air Training Command / Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) at Randolph AFB
and NAS Pensacola, Florida, respectively. Redesignated as Interservice Undergraduate Navigator Training (IUNT) when it was combined with similar aviation training programs of the naval services for student Naval Flight Officer
s (NFOs), this program is currently transitioning to an improved format known as Undergraduate Military Flight Officer (UMFO) Training. Under this arrangement, training is provided for all Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and international student navigators and flight officers. Students at Randolph AFB complete primary and intermediate training in the T-6 "Texan" and T45 navigation simulator, then track select as either panel navigators or Electronic Warfare Officers. USAF CSO graduates of Advanced Navigation then move to follow-on assignments in various aircraft, including the C-130 Hercules
, MC-130 Combat Talon I/II and Combat Shadow, AC-130 Spectre and Spooky, HC-130
, EC-130 Compass Call, EC-130 Commando Solo
, LC-130, WC-130, B-52 Stratofortress
, RC-135, E-3 Sentry
(AWACS and E-8 Joint STARS
(JSTARS)), while their Naval Flight Officer
counterparts are assigned to the land-based P-3 Orion
, EP-3 Aries and E-6 Mercury, and will eventually fly the P-8 Poseidon . There are limited opportunities for USAF KC-135 Stratotanker
navigators, as these positions are being phased out under the PACER CRAG program. Those who graduate as USAF Electronic Warfare Officers will go to follow-on assignments in the MC-130, AC-130, EC-130
, RC-135 or B-52 Stratofortress
.
USAF Weapons Systems Officer students obtain their training with a combination of USN, USMC and USAF instructors at Training Air Wing SIX at NAS Pensacola, Florida. They complete primary and intermediate training in the T-6A Texan II and T-1A Jayhawk aircraft, advanced training in the T-39 Sabreliner
and T-45 Goshawk
and then enter one of two tracks in the next phase. USAF WSO students in the strike track will eventually serve in the B-1B Lancer after attending the Electronic Warfare Officers course at Randolph AFB
. Students in the fighter track will receive follow-on assignments in the F-15E Strike Eagle or EA-6B Prowler and attend special training in the Intro to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) course.
In most cases, USAF CSOs and WSOs will attend the same AETC formal training units (FTUs) for follow-on training as their pilot counterparts. The exceptions to this rule for all pilots, CSOs/WSOs and enlisted aircrewmen are those aircraft where the FTU falls under the claimancy of the Air Combat Command
(i.e., A-10 Thunderbolt II
, B-1 Lancer
, E-3 Sentry
, E-8 Joint STARS
, F-15E Strike Eagle
, RC-135, U-2 Dragon Lady, etc.), the ir Force Global Strike Command (i.e., B-2 Spirit
and B-52 Stratofortress
), or the Air Force Special Operations Command
i.e., AC-130.
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, airborne communications specialists and Air Battle Manager
s. Flight engineers and boom operators train at Altus AFB
, Oklahoma., loadmasters train at Altus AFB, Oklahoma, helicopter flight engineers and aerial gunners train at Kirtland AFB
, New Mexico, airborne communications specialists train at Keesler AFB
, Mississippi, and Air Battle Manager
s complete Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training (UABMT) at Tyndall AFB
, Florida.
, Alabama is commanded by Lieutenant General Allen G. Peck and conducts professional military education
(PME), graduate education and professional continuing education for officers, enlisted members and civilians throughout their careers. Air University also has responsibility for all Air Force officer accession and training other than the United States Air Force Academy
via AU's subordinate 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 the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC), with detachments at numerous colleges and universities across the United States, and the Air Force Officer Training School (OTS) at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
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 aerospace 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 and captains); 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, Navy or Coast Guard lieutenant commander, other Allied military equivalents or US civil service GS-13; and Air War College
(AWC), an approximately year long joint "senior" service college program for officers in the rank of (or selected for) lieutenant colonel, Navy or Coast Guard commander, other Allied military equivalents or US civil service GS-14.
Air University also oversees the Air Force's two citizenship programs:
The Civil Air Patrol
(CAP) is a private, corporately chartered, civilian non-profit organization headquartered at Maxwell AFB and concurrently designated as the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (USAF Aux). CAP is sponsored by the Air Force, but it is a civilian entity and not an operating Air Reserve Component (ARC) like the Air Force Reserve Command
or the Air National Guard
. Under its congressionally assigned missions, CAP provides aerospace education for youth and the general public; a cadet program for middle/junior high school, high school and undergraduate college students; and a fleet of general aviation aircraft, multipurpose vehicles, ground support units, communications support units and trained adult members with a USAF-style rank structure available in support of search and rescue, disaster relief, and other emergency services and homeland defense/homeland security activities. The CAP program is established as an organization by Title 10 of the United States Code
and its purposes defined by Title 36
. CAP is commanded by a Civil Air Patrol major general, functioning as a full-time employee of the CAP corporation at Maxwell AFB, overseeing 52 wings assigned to each state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbua. The CAP commander is supported by an active duty aeronautically rated USAF colonel as the senior USAF-CAP Advisor.
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.
Both CAP and 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 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.
, Texas, and the Keesler Medical Center at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. Sheppard AFB, Texas provides most of the Air Force's graduate medical and dental education, as well as other enlisted medical training.
, was formed in 1942 and trained more than 13 million people. ATC installations between 1942 and 1993 ranged from a peak of more than 600 installations during World War II
, to a low of 13 when it was redesignated July 1, 1993. Command headquarters was located in Fort Worth, Texas
, and Barksdale AFB
, Louisiana, during the mid- and late-1940s. It was relocated to Scott AFB
, Illinois, in 1949, and moved to Randolph AFB
in 1957.
During the Korean War
, Parks AFB
, California and Sampson Air Force Base
, New York served as additional basic military training centers when Lackland AFB
became seriously overcrowded.
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
and Air University. It is one of the U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's ten major commands (MAJCOMs) and reports to Headquarters, United States Air Force.
AETC is headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas. Its commander is General Edward A. Rice
Edward A. Rice, Jr.
General Edward A. Rice, Jr, USAF is the 30th Commander, Air Education and Training Command , Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. As commander, he is responsible for the recruiting, training and education of all US Airmen. His command includes the Air Force Recruiting Service, two numbered air forces...
, with Lt. Gen. Douglas H. Owens as vice-commander and Chief Master Sergeant James A. Cody as Command Chief Master Sergeant.
More than 48,000 active-duty members and 14,000 civilian personnel make up AETC. The command has responsibility for approximately 1,600 aircraft.
Mission
AETC's mission is to "develop America's Airmen today... for tomorrow."The command recruits, trains, and educates Airmen for the United States Air Force.
Air Force Recruiting Service
AETC's mission begins with the Air Force Recruiting Service (AFRS), headquartered at Randolph AFB, Texas. AFRS comprises three regional groups and 24 squadrons with more than 1,400 recruiters assigned throughout the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
. 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.
Basic Military and Technical Training
Second Air ForceSecond Air Force
The Second Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command . It is headquartered at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi....
, with headquarters at Keesler AFB
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...
, Mississippi, is responsible for conducting basic military and technical training for Air Force enlisted members and support officers. The first stop for all Air Force, Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
and Air Force Reserve Command
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
enlisted people is basic military training
United States Air Force Basic Military Training
United States Air Force Basic Military Training is an eight and a half week rigorous program of physical and mental training required in order for an individual to become an Airman in the United States Air Force, United States Air Force Reserve, or Air National Guard. It is carried out at...
at Lackland AFB
Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas. More than 36,000 new airmen will 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: Goodfellow AFB
Goodfellow Air Force Base
Goodfellow Air Force Base is a non-flying United States Air Force base located in San Angelo, Texas. As part of Air Education & Training Command , Goodfellow's main mission is cryptologic and intelligence training for the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Military firefighters are also...
, Lackland AFB
Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, and Sheppard AFB
Sheppard Air Force Base
Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Education and Training Command...
in Texas; Keesler AFB, Miss.; and Vandenberg AFB
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northwest of Lompoc, California. It is under the jurisdiction of the 30th Space Wing, Air Force Space Command ....
, Calif. and there are also cross-service schools such as Defense Language Institute
Defense Language Institute
The Defense Language Institute is a United States Department of Defense educational and research institution, which provides linguistic and cultural instruction to the Department of Defense, other Federal Agencies and numerous and varied other customers...
, Calif and the Army Chemical School located at Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood (military base)
Fort Leonard Wood is a United States Army installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Wood, former Chief of Staff, in January 1941...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. Each base is responsible for a specific portion of formal technical training airmen require to accomplish the Air Force mission. Instructors conduct technical training in specialties such as aircraft maintenance, electronic principles, air transportation, civil engineering, medical services, computer systems, security forces
Air Force Security Forces
United States Air Force Security Forces are the Military Police, Base Security and Air Base Ground Defense forces of the United States Air Force...
, air traffic control, personnel, intelligence, fire fighting, weather forecasting and space and missile operations.
Commissioned officers attend technical training courses for similar career fields at the same locations.
Second Air Force also conducts specialized training for military working dogs and dog handlers at Lackland AFB
Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas, for the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
and the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
. Additionally, the Inter-American Air Forces Academy at Lackland AFB
Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas, hosts more than 160 courses in aviation specialties, taught in Spanish, to students from 19 Western hemisphere countries.
Training in core values
In 1995, the Secretary of the Air Force Sheila E. WidnallSheila E. Widnall
Sheila Marie Evans Widnall is an American aerospace researcher and Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She served as United States Secretary of the Air Force between 1993 and 1997, making her the first female Secretary of the Air Force and first woman to lead an...
and the Air Force Chief of Staff General Ronald R. Fogleman approved the following core values for the United States Air Force:
- Integrity First.
- Service Before Self.
- Excellence In All We Do.
The Air Education and Training Command along with the USAF Academy are responsible for teaching these principles throughout the Air Force.
Flying Training
Nineteenth Air ForceNineteenth Air Force
The Nineteenth Air Force is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base and belonging to the Air Education and Training Command...
, with headquarters at Randolph AFB
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas, conducts AETC's flying training.
Air Force pilot candidates begin with Initial Flight Screening
Initial Flight Screening
The Initial Flight Screening is a preliminary flight training course for newly commissioned U.S. Air Force officers who have been selected for Pilot, Combat Systems Officer , or Remote Pilot Aircraft pilot training...
(IFS). In IFS, civilian instructors provide up to 25 hours of flight instruction to pilot candidates.
Pilot candidates then attend either Euro-NATO joint jet pilot training (ENJJPT) or joint specialized undergraduate pilot training (JSUPT).
Sheppard Air Force Base
Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Education and Training Command...
, Texas. The entire course lasts about 54 weeks. Students learn with, and are taught by, officers of the U.S. Air Force and various European air forces. Student pilots first fly the T-6 Texan II
T-6 Texan II
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engined turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company . Based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 is used by the United States Air Force for basic pilot training and by the United States Navy for Primary and Intermediate Joint Naval Flight Officer and...
mastering contact, instrument, low-level and formation flying. Next, they train on the supersonic T-38 Talon
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
and continue building the skills necessary to become a fighter pilot.
JSUPT students accomplish primary training in the T-6 Texan II at one of three Air Force bases -- Columbus AFB
Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately north of Columbus, Mississippi.The host unit at Columbus is the 14th Flying Training Wing assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. The 14 FTW's mission is to provide specialized...
, Miss., Laughlin AFB
Laughlin Air Force Base
Laughlin Air Force Base is a facility of the United States Air Force located five miles east of the central business district of Del Rio, Texas.-Overview:...
, Texas, or Vance AFB
Vance Air Force Base
Vance Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located 6 km south of downtown Enid, Oklahoma, and within its city limits, about north northwest of Oklahoma City...
, Oklahoma; or in the T-34C Turbomentor
T-34 Mentor
The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is a propeller-driven, single-engined, military trainer aircraft derived from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. The earlier versions of the T-34, dating from around the late 1940s to the 1950s, were piston-engined. These were eventually succeeded by the upgraded T-34C...
at Naval Air Station Whiting Field
Naval Air Station Whiting Field
Naval Air Station Whiting Field is a United States Navy base located near Milton, Florida, in central Santa Rosa County, and is one of the Navy's two primary pilot training bases . NAS Whiting Field also provides training for U.S. Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force student pilots, as well as...
, Florida. Joint training is conducted at Vance AFB, Oklahoma, and NAS Whiting Field, Florida for students from the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. US Coast Guard student Naval Aviator
Naval Aviator
A United States Naval Aviator is a qualified pilot in the United States Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard.-Naming Conventions:Most Naval Aviators are Unrestricted Line Officers; however, a small number of Limited Duty Officers and Chief Warrant Officers are also trained as Naval Aviators.Until 1981...
s and flight instructors are also incorporated in joint training at NAS Whiting Field, but not at Vance AFB.
During the primary phase of JSUPT, students learn basic flight skills common to all military pilots.
As of 2006, most JSUPT students use the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System during the primary training phase. The aircraft portion of JPATS is the T-6 Texan II
T-6 Texan II
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engined turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company . Based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 is used by the United States Air Force for basic pilot training and by the United States Navy for Primary and Intermediate Joint Naval Flight Officer and...
, which is being phased in as the primary trainer replacing the Air Force's T-37 and the Navy's T-34C.
After the primary phase of JSUPT, student pilots elect one of several advanced training tracks based on their class standing.
Prospective airlift and tanker pilots are assigned to the airlift/tanker track, and train in the T-1A Jayhawk at Columbus AFB
Columbus Air Force Base
Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately north of Columbus, Mississippi.The host unit at Columbus is the 14th Flying Training Wing assigned to the Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force. The 14 FTW's mission is to provide specialized...
, Mississippi, Laughlin AFB
Laughlin Air Force Base
Laughlin Air Force Base is a facility of the United States Air Force located five miles east of the central business district of Del Rio, Texas.-Overview:...
, Texas, or Vance AFB
Vance Air Force Base
Vance Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located 6 km south of downtown Enid, Oklahoma, and within its city limits, about north northwest of Oklahoma City...
, Oklahoma. Student pilots headed for bomber or fighter assignments are assigned to the bomber/fighter track, and train in the T-38 Talon
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
at Columbus, Laughlin or Vance.
While some USAF student pilots will complete the airlift/tanker track in the T-1A Jayhawk and eventually fly the C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
or its variants, other USAF students destined for C-130s will be assigned to a multi-engine turboprop track and fly the T-44
Beechcraft King Air
The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation...
turboprop trainers or TC-12B trainers at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas in a coorperative arrangement between 19 AF and the Naval Air Training Command / Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA). These USAF students will receive instruction from a combination of USN, USAF and USCG instructors at NAS Corpus Christi and will eventually fly the C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
or its associated variants (AC-130, EC-130, HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
, LC-130, MC-130, WC-130). A small number of USAF graduates may also be selected to fly the C-12
C-12 Huron
The C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps...
at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.
Those USAF students selected to fly helicopters are assigned to the helicopter track and fly the UH-1 Huey at Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
, Alabama under a joint training arrangement with the US Army. USAF graduates of this program will fly the UH-1N Twin Huey
UH-1N Twin Huey
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...
, HH-60G Pave Hawk or CV-22 Osprey.
Nineteenth Air Force also provides follow-on training for most Air Force pilots in their assigned aircraft. Pilots assigned to fighter aircraft complete the introduction to fighter fundamentals course at Randolph AFB
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
or Sheppard AFB
Sheppard Air Force Base
Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles north of the central business district of Wichita Falls, in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the largest training base and most diversified in Air Education and Training Command...
, Texas, flying the AT-38B
T-38 Talon
The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. The T-38 remains in service as of 2011 in air forces throughout the world....
, and then move on to train in either the A/B or C/D versions of the F-15 Eagle
F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...
or the F-22 Raptor
F-22 Raptor
The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is a single-seat, twin-engine fifth-generation supermaneuverable fighter aircraft that uses stealth technology. It was designed primarily as an air superiority fighter, but has additional capabilities that include ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals...
at Tyndall AFB
Tyndall Air Force Base
Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt Frank Benjamin Tyndall...
, Florida., or the F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
at Luke AFB
Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about west of Phoenix, Arizona....
, Arizona. Altus AFB
Altus Air Force Base
Altus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-northeast of Altus, Oklahoma.The host unit at Altus AFB is the 97th Air Mobility Wing , assigned to the Nineteenth Air Force of the Air Education and Training Command...
, Oklahoma, hosts training for aircrews assigned to KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
or C-17 Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
aircraft, while an AETC-gained wing of the Air Force Reserve Command
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
conducts training for all Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-5 Galaxy
C-5 Galaxy
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It provides the United States Air Force with a heavy intercontinental-range strategic airlift capability, one that can carry outsize and oversize cargos, including all air-certifiable cargo. The Galaxy has many...
aircrews at Lackland AFB/Kelly Field Annex, Texas. Aircrews assigned to fly the C-130 train at Little Rock AFB
Little Rock Air Force Base
Little Rock Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately northeast of Little Rock, Arkansas.-Overview:...
, Arkansas, while aircrews assigned to fly MC-130 Combat Talon I/II, Combat Shadow, and HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
aircraft will take initial follow-on training at Little Rock followed by additional follow-on training at a colocated site with UH-1N Twin Huey
UH-1N Twin Huey
The Bell UH-1N Twin Huey is a medium military helicopter that first flew in April, 1969. The UH-1N has a fifteen seat configuration, with one pilot and fourteen passengers. In cargo configuration the UH-1N has an internal capacity of 220 ft³ . An external load of 5,000 lb can be carried...
and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter crews and CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor crews at Kirtland AFB
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland...
, New Mexico. Keesler AFB
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...
, Mississippi, provides training for pilots assigned to the C-21, while the US Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
at Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker
Fort Rucker is a U.S. Army post located mostly in Dale County, Alabama, United States. It was named for a Civil War officer, Confederate General Edmund Rucker. The post is the primary flight training base for Army Aviation and is home to the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence and...
, Alabama provides training for USAF pilots in the C-12
C-12 Huron
The C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps...
Super King Air.
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
and NAS Pensacola, Florida, respectively. Redesignated as Interservice Undergraduate Navigator Training (IUNT) when it was combined with similar aviation training programs of the naval services for student Naval Flight Officer
Naval Flight Officer
A Naval Flight Officer is an aeronautically designated commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps that specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots per se, but they may perform many "co-pilot" functions, depending on the type of aircraft...
s (NFOs), this program is currently transitioning to an improved format known as Undergraduate Military Flight Officer (UMFO) Training. Under this arrangement, training is provided for all Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and international student navigators and flight officers. Students at Randolph AFB complete primary and intermediate training in the T-6 "Texan" and T45 navigation simulator, then track select as either panel navigators or Electronic Warfare Officers. USAF CSO graduates of Advanced Navigation then move to follow-on assignments in various aircraft, including the C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
, MC-130 Combat Talon I/II and Combat Shadow, AC-130 Spectre and Spooky, HC-130
HC-130
The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue and Combat search and rescue version of the C-130 Hercules transport. The HC-130H and HC-130J versions are operated by the United States Coast Guard in a SAR and maritime reconnaissance role. The HC-130P and HC-130N Combat King models...
, EC-130 Compass Call, EC-130 Commando Solo
EC-130 Commando Solo
The Lockheed Martin EC-130 series comprises several slightly different versions of the C-130 that have been and continue to be operated by the U.S. Air Force and, until the 1990s, the U.S...
, LC-130, WC-130, B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
, RC-135, E-3 Sentry
E-3 Sentry
The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. Derived from the Boeing 707, it provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and is used by the United States Air Force , NATO, Royal Air Force , French Air Force...
(AWACS and E-8 Joint STARS
E-8 Joint STARS
The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System is a battle management and command and control aircraft of the United States Air Force...
(JSTARS)), while their Naval Flight Officer
Naval Flight Officer
A Naval Flight Officer is an aeronautically designated commissioned officer in the United States Navy or United States Marine Corps that specializes in airborne weapons and sensor systems. NFOs are not pilots per se, but they may perform many "co-pilot" functions, depending on the type of aircraft...
counterparts are assigned to the land-based P-3 Orion
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
, EP-3 Aries and E-6 Mercury, and will eventually fly the P-8 Poseidon . There are limited opportunities for USAF KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
navigators, as these positions are being phased out under the PACER CRAG program. Those who graduate as USAF Electronic Warfare Officers will go to follow-on assignments in the MC-130, AC-130, EC-130
EC-130 Commando Solo
The Lockheed Martin EC-130 series comprises several slightly different versions of the C-130 that have been and continue to be operated by the U.S. Air Force and, until the 1990s, the U.S...
, RC-135 or B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
.
USAF Weapons Systems Officer students obtain their training with a combination of USN, USMC and USAF instructors at Training Air Wing SIX at NAS Pensacola, Florida. They complete primary and intermediate training in the T-6A Texan II and T-1A Jayhawk aircraft, advanced training in the T-39 Sabreliner
T-39 Sabreliner
The North American Sabreliner is a mid-sized business jet developed by North American Aviation. It was offered to the U.S. Air Force in response to their Utility Trainer Experimental program...
and T-45 Goshawk
T-45 Goshawk
|-Avionics:Data from naval-technology.com *Smiths Industries, Ltd. AN/USN-2 Standard Attitude Heading and Reference System . Later replaced by the BAE/Marconi AN/ASN-180 Navigation Guidance System ....
and then enter one of two tracks in the next phase. USAF WSO students in the strike track will eventually serve in the B-1B Lancer after attending the Electronic Warfare Officers course at Randolph AFB
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
. Students in the fighter track will receive follow-on assignments in the F-15E Strike Eagle or EA-6B Prowler and attend special training in the Intro to Fighter Fundamentals (IFF) course.
In most cases, USAF CSOs and WSOs will attend the same AETC formal training units (FTUs) for follow-on training as their pilot counterparts. The exceptions to this rule for all pilots, CSOs/WSOs and enlisted aircrewmen are those aircraft where the FTU falls under the claimancy of the Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command
Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....
(i.e., A-10 Thunderbolt II
A-10 Thunderbolt II
The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks,...
, B-1 Lancer
B-1 Lancer
The Rockwell B-1 LancerThe name "Lancer" is only applied to the B-1B version, after the program was revived. is a four-engine variable-sweep wing strategic bomber used by the United States Air Force...
, E-3 Sentry
E-3 Sentry
The Boeing E-3 Sentry is an airborne warning and control system developed by Boeing as the prime contractor. Derived from the Boeing 707, it provides all-weather surveillance, command, control and communications, and is used by the United States Air Force , NATO, Royal Air Force , French Air Force...
, E-8 Joint STARS
E-8 Joint STARS
The Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System is a battle management and command and control aircraft of the United States Air Force...
, F-15E Strike Eagle
F-15E Strike Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is an all-weather multirole fighter, derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high speed interdiction without relying on escort or electronic warfare aircraft. United States Air Force F-15E Strike...
, RC-135, U-2 Dragon Lady, etc.), the ir Force Global Strike Command (i.e., B-2 Spirit
B-2 Spirit
The Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit is an American heavy bomber with low observable stealth technology designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses and deploy both conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber has a crew of two and can drop up to eighty -class JDAM GPS-guided bombs, or sixteen ...
and B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
), or the Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command
Air Force Special Operations Command is the Special Operations component of the United States Air Force and the US Air Force component command to the United States Special Operations Command , a unified command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida...
i.e., AC-130.
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, airborne communications specialists and Air Battle Manager
Air Battle Manager
Air Battle Manager is a rated flying position in the United States Air Force.-History:Air Battle Manager has been a rated career field since October 1, 1999. This means that ABMs are career aviators who receive flight pay and must actively fly a certain number of months to maintain their rating...
s. Flight engineers and boom operators train at Altus AFB
Altus Air Force Base
Altus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-northeast of Altus, Oklahoma.The host unit at Altus AFB is the 97th Air Mobility Wing , assigned to the Nineteenth Air Force of the Air Education and Training Command...
, Oklahoma., loadmasters train at Altus AFB, Oklahoma, helicopter flight engineers and aerial gunners train at Kirtland AFB
Kirtland Air Force Base
Kirtland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in the southeast quadrant of the Albuquerque, New Mexico urban area, adjacent to the Albuquerque International Sunport. The base was named for the early Army aviator Col. Roy C. Kirtland...
, New Mexico, airborne communications specialists train at Keesler AFB
Keesler Air Force Base
Keesler Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Biloxi, a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. The base is named in honor of aviator 2d Lt Samuel Reeves Keesler, Jr., a Mississippi native killed in France in First World War.-Units:The base is home of...
, Mississippi, and Air Battle Manager
Air Battle Manager
Air Battle Manager is a rated flying position in the United States Air Force.-History:Air Battle Manager has been a rated career field since October 1, 1999. This means that ABMs are career aviators who receive flight pay and must actively fly a certain number of months to maintain their rating...
s complete Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training (UABMT) at Tyndall AFB
Tyndall Air Force Base
Tyndall Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located east of Panama City, Florida. The base was named in honor of World War I pilot 1st Lt Frank Benjamin Tyndall...
, Florida.
Air University
Air University (AU), headquartered at Maxwell AFBMaxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, Alabama is commanded by Lieutenant General Allen G. Peck and conducts professional military education
Professional military education in the United States Air Force
The United States Air Force provides a continuum of professional military education at Air University with Basic Developmental Education , Primary Developmental Education , Intermediate Developmental Education , and Senior Developmental Education...
(PME), graduate education and professional continuing education for officers, enlisted members and civilians throughout their careers. Air University also has responsibility for all Air Force officer accession and training other than the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
via AU's subordinate 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 the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC), with detachments at numerous colleges and universities across the United States, and the Air Force Officer Training School (OTS) at Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
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 aerospace power. The three primary PME schools are Squadron Officer School
Squadron Officer School
Squadron Officer School , is a five-week long Professional Military Education course for U.S. Air Force Captains. It fulfills the U.S. Air Force's requirement for primary developmental education . SOS is based at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and the in-residence version of the course is taught there...
(SOS) an approximately two month leadership development program primarily for USAF company grade officers (first lieutenants and captains); Air Command and Staff College
Air Command and Staff College
The Air Command and Staff College is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate professional military education school. It prepares field grade and equivalent officers of all U.S...
(ACSC), an approximately year long joint "intermediate" service college program for officers of all services in the rank of (or selected for) major, Navy or Coast Guard lieutenant commander, other Allied military equivalents or US civil service GS-13; and Air War College
Air War College
The Air War College is a part of the United States Air Force's Air University, headquartered at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Air University's higher headquarters is Air Education and Training Command headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The Air War...
(AWC), an approximately year long joint "senior" service college program for officers in the rank of (or selected for) lieutenant colonel, Navy or Coast Guard commander, other Allied military equivalents or US civil service GS-14.
Air University also oversees the Air Force's two citizenship programs:
The Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol is a Congressionally chartered, federally supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force . CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded membership that includes people from all backgrounds, lifestyles, and...
(CAP) is a private, corporately chartered, civilian non-profit organization headquartered at Maxwell AFB and concurrently designated as the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (USAF Aux). CAP is sponsored by the Air Force, but it is a civilian entity and not an operating Air Reserve Component (ARC) like the Air Force Reserve Command
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
or the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
. Under its congressionally assigned missions, CAP provides aerospace education for youth and the general public; a cadet program for middle/junior high school, high school and undergraduate college students; and a fleet of general aviation aircraft, multipurpose vehicles, ground support units, communications support units and trained adult members with a USAF-style rank structure available in support of search and rescue, disaster relief, and other emergency services and homeland defense/homeland security activities. The CAP program is established as an organization by Title 10 of the United States Code
Title 10 of the United States Code
Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of armed forces in the United States Code.It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense...
and its purposes defined by Title 36
Title 36 of the United States Code
Title 36 of the United States Code outlines the role of Patriotic Societies and Observances in the United States Code.*Subtitle I—Patriotic and National Observances and Ceremonies*Subtitle II—Patriotic and National Organizations...
. CAP is commanded by a Civil Air Patrol major general, functioning as a full-time employee of the CAP corporation at Maxwell AFB, overseeing 52 wings assigned to each state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbua. The CAP commander is supported by an active duty aeronautically rated USAF colonel as the senior USAF-CAP Advisor.
The Air Force Junior ROTC program is a cadet program for high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
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.
Both CAP and 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 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.
Medical Services
The Air Force's two largest medical facilities belong to AETC: the Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland AFBLackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas, and the Keesler Medical Center at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. Sheppard AFB, Texas provides most of the Air Force's graduate medical and dental education, as well as other enlisted medical training.
History
AETC's predecessor, Air Training CommandAir Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
, was formed in 1942 and trained more than 13 million people. ATC installations between 1942 and 1993 ranged from a peak of more than 600 installations during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, to a low of 13 when it was redesignated July 1, 1993. Command headquarters was located in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, and Barksdale AFB
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
, Louisiana, during the mid- and late-1940s. It was relocated to Scott AFB
Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base is a base of the United States Air Force in St. Clair County, Illinois, near Belleville.-Overview:The base is named after Corporal Frank S. Scott, the first enlisted person to be killed in an aviation crash...
, Illinois, in 1949, and moved to Randolph AFB
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
in 1957.
During the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Parks AFB
Parks Reserve Forces Training Area
Parks Reserve Forces Training Area is a United States Army facility located in Dublin, California that is currently a semi-active mobilization and training center for Army Reserve Component personnel to be used in case of war or natural disaster....
, California and Sampson Air Force Base
Sampson Air Force Base
Sampson Air Force Base is a closed United States military facility, last used by the United States Air Force Air Training Command as a Basic Military Training Center. It was closed in 1956 and put into caretaker status....
, New York served as additional basic military training centers when Lackland AFB
Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located west-southwest of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
became seriously overcrowded.
Lineage
Established as Air Corps Flying Training Command on January 23, 1942. Redesignated Army Air Forces Flying Training Command about March 15, 1942; Army Air Forces Training Command on July 31, 1943; Air Training Command on July 1, 1946; Air Education and Training Command on July 1, 1993.See also
- United States Army Training and Doctrine CommandUnited States Army Training and Doctrine CommandEstablished 1 July 1973, the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command is an army command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is charged with overseeing training of Army forces, the development of operational doctrine, and the development and procurement of...