 |
 
|
    |
|
|
| |
|
|
||||||||||||
Go To: Organizations * Main Index * Reunions * Painted Planes * Bomber Art * Air Show Photos
Air Education and Training Command, with headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base near San Antonio, Texas, was established July 1, 1993, with the realignment of Air Training Command and Air University. Mission
AETC recruits new people into the U.S. Air Force and provides them with military, technical and flying training; and precommissioning, professional military and continuing education. After receiving basic training and prior to placement in Air Force jobs, enlisted people are trained in a technical skill. More than 2,200 technical courses offer a wide variety of job skills for today's young adults. During their careers in the Air Force, every officer and enlisted person receives training administered by the command.
Personnel and Resources
The command includes two numbered air forces, the Air University, Air Force Recruiting Service and Wilford Hall Medical Center. More than 43,000 active-duty members and 14,000 civilian personnel make up AETC. The command has responsibility for more than 1,500 aircraft.
Organization
Air University
Air University, headquartered at Maxwell AFB and Gunter Annex, Ala., is responsible for professional military education, graduate education and professional continuing education, as well as precommissioning education and training. AU also provides administrative oversight of the Civil Air Patrol.
AU students are primarily Air Force officers, airmen and selected Department of Defense civilians. A relatively small number of personnel from other DOD activities also attend AU schools. In addition, international officers from more than 100 countries have studied in AU schools.
Precommissioning Education and Training. AU's precommissioning education and training organizations are the Officer Training School and Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. Over the years, OTS has functioned as a flexible commissioning program to meet the constantly changing manning requirements of the Air Force. Additionally, OTS formally trains medical service officers, chaplains and lawyers. AFROTC, operating in partnership with more than 140 colleges and universities, educates, trains and commissions qualified students in a diversified college and university environment.
Professional Military Education. The PME schools of AU -- Air War College, Air Command and Staff College (including the School of Advanced Airpower Studies), Squadron Officer School and College for Enlisted Professional Military Education -- prepare senior, midcareer and junior commissioned and noncommissioned officers and civilians for progressively more responsible positions throughout the Air Force.
Professional Continuing Education. AU specialized agencies meet specific educational requirements of the Air Force. The Air Force Quality Institute enhances the implementation and continuing application of a Quality Air Force. The College of Aerospace Doctrine, Research and Education assists Headquarters USAF in developing doctrine and military strategy; prepares instructional materials for AU PME programs; conducts operational and educational wargames; and publishes the Airpower Journal. Approximately 330 correspondence courses in specialized, career development and PME are published through the Extension Course Institute. The Ira C. Eaker College for Professional Development provides professional continuing education for instructors, international officers, chaplains, judge advocates, comptrollers, personnel specialists, commanders and communication-computer systems managers. Schools operating within the college include the Academic Instructor School, International Officer School, USAF Chaplain Service Institute, USAF First Sergeant Academy, Air Force Human Resource Management School, Air Force Judge Advocate General School, Commanders' Professional Development School, Professional Military Comptroller School and Technology Management School. The Community College of the Air Force develops and administers education programs leading to an associate degree in applied science for Air Force active-duty, Reserve and Air National Guard enlisted personnel. The AU Library provides educational and research library services and cartographic support to the headquarters, schools, colleges and tenant units.
Graduate Education. The Air Force Institute of Technology, located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, provides education to meet Air Force requirements in scientific, technological, logistical, managerial and other designated professional areas. The institute consists of the Graduate School of Engineering, the Graduate School of Logistics and Acquisition Management, the School of Systems and Logistics, the School of Civil Engineering and Services, and the Civilian Institution Programs. In addition to graduate degree programs, the institute offers numerous courses in-residence at Wright-Patterson AFB and at selected locations within the continental United States. The Civilian Institution Programs organization is responsible for managing graduate, undergraduate and continuing education programs at civilian educational facilities and is responsible for the Air Force health care education programs, education-with-industry and numerous other programs. AFIT also contributes to the commissioning of new Air Force officers through the Airman Education and Commissioning Program.Second Air Force
The 2nd Air Force, headquartered at Keesler AFB, Miss., was activated July 1, 1993, and manages all operational aspects of basic and technical training for AETC. Four training wings, including seven technical training groups and basic military training, report to 2nd AF. Geographically separated units are located at Falcon and Peterson Air Force bases in Colorado, and Edwards AFB, Calif. Basic Military Training. A basic military training course for all new enlistees in the regular Air Force, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard is conducted at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Training starts on a Monday, with graduation on Friday six weeks later, followed by travel to technical training. In addition to processing and counseling, courses emphasize discipline, professional courtesy, physical fitness, teamwork and academic instruction in Air Force organization, history, human relations and quality Air Force principles.
Technical Training. Technical training in more than 250 technical specialties is provided to men and women in all branches of service throughout their careers. Technical training courses, many accredited through the Community College of the Air Force, provide job qualification and advanced training to Air Force people in support of their primary missions. Each year more than 129,000 students graduate from more than 2,200 formal training courses.
Resident courses are conducted at Keesler AFB; Lackland, Sheppard, and Goodfellow Air Force bases in Texas; and Vandenberg AFB, Calif.
Defense Language Institute English Language Center. International military members and some civilians attend full-time English language training at the Defense Language Institute English Language Center at Lackland AFB. The center is a Department of Defense agency that reports to AETC.
Inter-American Air Forces Academy. The Inter-American Air Forces Academy provides Spanish-language technical and management training to military forces and governmental agencies of Latin America and the Caribbean. The school at Lackland AFB provides training in 70 different courses for both officer and enlisted personnel.
Nineteenth Air Force
The 19th Air Force, headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, was activated July 1, 1993, and exercises operational control over 12 active duty units and has operational oversight of two Air National Guard units. AETC provides undergraduate and specialized pilot and navigator training; initial fighter fundamental training, specific initial skills training, upgrade and requalification aircraft training for combat crews; and advanced training for helicopter pilots.
Flying Training. AETC conducts primary and advanced flight training for pilots, navigators and enlisted crew members. Command training programs produce mission-ready crew members. Pilot training begins with the flight screening program conducted in the T-3 aircraft by the 3rd Flying Training Squadron in Hondo, Texas, and the 557th Flying Training Squadron at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Pilot training continues with an undergraduate pilot training program and ends with combat crew training in specific major weapons systems.The current undergraduate pilot training program, or UPT, will be completely replaced by specialized undergraduate pilot training, or SUPT, by early 1997. SUPT may begin in either the Air Force's T-37 or the Navy's T-34 if one is initially trained by the Navy. SUPT advanced training may occur in one of four aircraft. Students designated for a bomber or fighter aircraft receive advanced training in the T-38. Airlift and tanker pilots train in the T-1A, and helicopter pilots train in the UH-1 in a joint training environment at Fort Rucker, Ala. Air Force C-130-bound students train in the T-44 with the Navy at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas. Total SUPT training includes between 193 flying hours for the airlift/tanker track to 208 for the bomber/fighter track. UPT advanced training is conducted in either the T-38, T-44 or UH-1. Air Force instructor pilots are trained at Randolph AFB.
SUPT began in January 1993 at Reese AFB, Texas, and will be fully implemented at all pilot training bases in 1997 when the final T-1 is delivered. SUPT began at Laughlin AFB, Texas, in 1994; and at Vance AFB, Okla., in 1995. Columbus AFB, Miss., is scheduled to begin SUPT in 1996. Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training is an international effort conducted by the U.S. Air Force and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies.
This program at Sheppard AFB, Texas, trains pilots from NATO countries as well as some U.S. Air Force pilots. Primary training is conducted in the T-37 and advanced training in the T-38. ENJJPT instructor pilots are also trained at Sheppard AFB.
Students electing to fly fighters are given an introductory course in fighter fundamentals. This training is conducted at Randolph, Columbus and Sheppard Air Force bases. After this training, students bound for training in the F-15 aircraft are trained at Tyndall AFB, Fla. At Tyndall, different courses are offered for pilots who have never flown a fighter aircraft, experienced pilots converting to or requalifying in the F-15, and pilots selected to become F-15 instructor pilots. Similar training is conducted at Luke AFB, Ariz., for F-16 pilots.
Airlift training for C-5, C-141 and KC-135 pilots and enlisted aircrew members is conducted at Altus AFB, Okla. Special operations training for pilots and enlisted aircrew members in the HC- and MC-130 aircraft, and the MH-53J and MH-60G helicopter, is conducted at Kirtland AFB, N.M.
Certain operational support airlift aircraft (C-12, C-21) pilots and instructors are trained at Keesler AFB. Navigator Training. Specialized undergraduate navigator training is conducted jointly at Randolph AFB and Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., for Air Force, Air Reserve component, Navy, Marine and foreign students for duty in airlift, reconnaissance, air refueling, rescue, bomber, fighter and electronic countermeasure aircraft. Current training involves a 26-week core program at Randolph using Air Force T-37 and T-43 aircraft. Follow-on training occurs at both Randolph and NAS Pensacola in one of three specialized tracks: bomber/fighter, electronic warfare officer or navigator. Training in the bomber/fighter track occurs at NAS Pensacola in Navy T-2 and T-39 aircraft, electronic warfare officer training is a non-flying course at Corry Station, adjacent to NAS Pensacola, and training in the navigator track occurs at Randolph in the T-43 aircraft. Upcoming changes involve the shift of core training to NAS Pensacola by fiscal year 1997 along with the incorporation of Air Force T-1 aircraft into Pensacola training in 1996.
Other Training. AETC also conducts the Air Force combat survival course at Fairchild AFB, Wash., where more than 4,000 aircrew members receive training annually. Specialized courses are provided at NAS Pensacola for water survival; and Eielson AFB, Alaska, for arctic survival. Training for enlisted combat controllers and pararescuemen is conducted at Kirtland AFB.Other Major Units
Air Force Recruiting Service. AETC is responsible for all personnel accessions with the exception of the U.S. Air Force Academy, lawyers and chaplains. Its mission is to recruit a high-quality volunteer force reflective of a cross-section of America. It manages this through the Air Force Recruiting Service, also headquartered at Randolph AFB. Recruiting Service is divided into four recruiting groups with 29 squadrons and about 3,000 highly motivated recruiters. The recruiting mission is accomplished from more than 900 offices worldwide. Air Force personnel requirements are given to Recruiting Service in the form of program goals for non-prior service enlistees, line officers (Officer Training School), health care professionals (physicians, nurses, etc.), applicants for Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarships, and others as required.
Wilford Hall Medical Center.Wilford Hall Medical Center, located on Lackland AFB, is America's largest military hospital and home of the 59th Medical Wing. The 691-bed medical center serves as Lackland's hospital, a specialized treatment center for the southern United States, the lead agent for the DOD Health Service Region 6 and a tertiary care center for DOD patients evacuated from around the world. The commander of Wilford Hall is also dual-hatted as the lead agent of the DOD TRICARE Region VI. Wilford Hall admits almost 25,000 patients per year, sees more than one million outpatients and serves 15,000 aeromedical evacuees. Wilford Hall provides services unique to the Air Force and military medicine. They include the Air Force's AIDS-HIV treatment and evaluation center, the DOD centers for liver and adult bone marrow transplants and the Air Force's only major emergency medicine center with a residency training mission.
Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron. The Air Force Security Assistance Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, is the executive agent for all USAF-sponsored international training. It develops, integrates and manages international training in support of U.S. national security objectives. Nearly 5,000 students from 148 friendly and allied countries are trained annually under USAF sponsorship.
History
AETC's predecessor, Air Training Command, was formed in 1943 and trained more than 13 million people. ATC installations between 1943 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 at Fort Worth, Texas, and Barksdale AFB, La., during the mid- and late-1940s. It was relocated to Scott AFB, Ill., in 1949, and moved to Randolph AFB in 1957.
Point of Contact
Air Education and Training Command, Public Affairs Office; 100 H Street, Suite 3; Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 78150-4330; DSN 487-3946 or (210) 652-3946.
September 1995
