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Ground-breaking risk management initiative seeks to reduce aircraft maintenance mishaps
March 4, 2024 — Since September 2018, aircraft maintenance-related mishaps cost the Air Education and Training Command more than $50 million. These mishaps happened during high-risk maintenance tasks, including engine operational checks and aircraft towing. Fiscal Year 2023 saw an alarming spike in these preventable mishaps, prompting the AETC commander to direct multiple initiatives designed to enhance operational risk management in aircraft maintenance units... MORE

Preventable aircraft maintenance mishaps, such as the damage to this MQ-9 Reaper during a towing incident, have cost AETC tens of millions of dollars over the past five years. The damage to this MQ-9 alone cost more than $3 million. Command leadership hopes new, innovative aircraft maintenance ORM initiatives will reverse this negative trend.

Three Air Force Reserve instructor pilots surpass 3,000 flight hour milestone
March 1, 2024 — Reaching an aviation milestone usually doesn't come easy for one pilot during their career, let alone three pilots around the same time. At Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, three Air Force Reserve instructor pilots assigned to the 39th Flying Training Squadron did just that by each exceeding 3,000 flight hours in the T-38C Talon... MORE

Three AF Reserve instructor pilots surpass 3,000 flight hour milestone

Community Connection events focus on spring events throughout JBSA
March 1, 2024 — Got questions about what’s going on around JBSA this spring? The 502nd Air Base Wing is looking to spread the word on Joint Base San Antonio’s three upcoming Community Connection Events, which will be focused on sharing information about the major events during the spring timeframe... MORE

Warfighting culture, changing mindsets: Topics for command chief’s brief to Airmen
February 26, 2024 — Chief Master Sgt. Chad Bickley, command chief for Air Education and Training Command since July 2023, has made it his mission to change mindsets and infuse the warfighting culture into Airmen with straightforward conversations... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. Chad Bickley, command chief for Air Education and Training Command presents a brief to Airmen at JBSA-Randolph.

T-7 Red Hawk endures extreme temps during climate tests
February 26, 2024 — The T-7 Red Hawk, the U.S. Air Force’s new trainer aircraft, completed a month-long trial of extreme weather inside the McKinley Climatic Lab on Feb. 23, 2024... MORE

Inaugural ‘Gameapalooza’ examines gaming’s role in future Air Force training
February 23, 2024 — Participants were challenged to explore focused questions tied to improving the Department of the Air Force's integration of gaming across force development efforts, optimizing alignment and recognition of competency attainment achieved through gaming, and enhancing collaboration within the DAF’s gaming network to build needed warfighting capabilities... MORE

AI generated rendering of future pilots using gaming to train to fly airplanes on futuristic looking background

Studies and Analysis Squadron develops fair, credible and valid promotion tests with eye towards Great Power Competition
February 22, 2024 — As the Air Force transitions to electronic promotion testing, the Studies and Analysis Squadron is advancing promotion testing along three lines of effort: modernization, analytics, and customer focus... MORE

Next DAF Learning Symposium set for April 16-18
February 21, 2024 — Air Education and Training Command officials are preparing and designing the third Department of the Air Force Learning Symposium, to be held in San Antonio April 16-18... MORE

Graphic to advertise upcoming DAF Learning Symposium

Community Connection events focus on spring events throughout JBSA
February 20, 2024 — Got questions about what’s going on around JBSA this spring? The 502nd Air Base Wing is looking to spread the word on Joint Base San Antonio’s three upcoming Community Connection Events, which will be focused on sharing information about the major events during the Spring timeframe. ... MORE

WATCH: AETC Commander and Command Chief discuss Airman Development Command
February 20, 2024 — Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson, commander of Air Education and Training Command and Chief Master Sgt. Chad Bickley, AETC command chief, discuss the change from AETC to Airman Development Command and how the command is at the forefront of the Air Force’s readiness and most significant organizational change in just over three decades... MORE

Air Education and Training Command shield

39th Flying Training Squadron hosts Fiesta dignitaries for T-38 orientation flight
February 15, 2024 — Members of San Antonio Fiesta 2024 royalty got the chance for a T-38 orientation flight with the 39th Flying Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph on Jan. 25... MORE

Airman Development Command announced, supporting sweeping changes to maintain superiority amid Great Power Competition
February 13, 2024 — The Department of the Air Force’s senior civilian and military leaders, Feb. 12, unveiled sweeping plans for reshaping, refocusing, and reoptimizing the Air Force and Space Force to ensure continued supremacy in those domains while also better posturing the services to deter and, if necessary, prevail in an era of Great Power Competition. Among the 24 key decisions Kendall announced was the decision to redesignate Air Education and Training Command as Airman Development Command (ADC). The ADC’s goal, true to name, will be to become the service’s enterprise-wide integrator for Airman development, training and education as part of the Department of the Air Force’s efforts to reoptimize for Great Power Competition. ... MORE

AETC shield on blue and black background with white lettering

Mission Monday: Antiterrorism program managers
February 12, 2024 — It’s Mission Monday. Meet Tech. Sgt. Samuel Gonzalez, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center's Detachment 7 antiterrorism program manager at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph... MORE

The Great Texas Airshow returns to JBSA-Randolph April 6-7
February 2, 2024 — The Great Texas Airshow will take place April 6-7 with this year’s theme of "Service in Action." This free event will showcase the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the F-35A Lightning II, the U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue Parachute Team and more. Gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. each day. The aerial acts begin at 11 a.m. on both days... MORE

CMSO and AETC will host 2024 Modeling and Simulation Summit
February 2, 2024 — The third annual 2024 Department of the Air Force Modeling & Simulation Summit will take place in San Antonio, Texas, on May 7-9, 2024... MORE

Pilot training innovation: First successful remote simulator training
February 1, 2024 — The first successful remote simulator instruction in Air Force pilot training connected 2nd Lt. Wesley Mills, a 47th Student Squadron student pilot at Laughlin Air Force Base with Robert Wayne, 12th Training Squadron simulator instructor, at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph on Jan. 22, 2024. ... MORE

Maxwell Air Force Base welcomes first active duty flying training unit since 1945
February 1, 2024 — The 908th Airlift Wing has an active-duty associate mission partner at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama for the first time. Detachment 3 of the 58th Operations Group had an official activation ceremony on Jan. 31, 2024. Det. 3, and the 58th OG both belong to the 58th Special Operations Wing, based at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The 58th SOW’s parent organization is the 19th Air Force located at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, which belongs to the Air Education and Training Command... MORE

Unlocking Futures: Air Force Junior ROTC’s J-100 Scholarship Program
February 1, 2024 — Headquarters Air Force Junior ROTC announced the winners of its J-100 Character-in-Leadership Scholarship Program, providing recipients four years of 100% paid tuition at any university with an Air Force ROTC detachment... MORE

Prattville High School Senior Brady Kaufman receives his AFJROTC J-100 Scholarship award

AETC command chief visits Team XL
January 29, 2024 — U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Chad Bickley, command chief for Air Education and Training Command, was welcomed by Team XL during an immersion visit on Jan. 22, 2024. This was his first visit to the 47th Flying Training Wing since becoming the AETC command chief. ... MORE

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Chad Bickley (left), command chief for Air Education and Training Command, watches as 2nd Lt. John Volk, 47th Student Squadron student pilot, flies a T-6 aircraft simulator inside a 47th Student Squadron classroom at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, Jan. 22, 2024. Bickley spent time with Team XL members to get a first-hand glimpse at how Laughlin’s Airmen train student pilots to be the Air Force’s newest and most lethal pilots. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kailee Reynolds)

NCO: The Backbone of the U.S. Air Force
January 29, 2024 — Chief Master Sgt. Chad Bickley, Command Chief of Air Education and Training Command highlights the need to accelerate force development to maintain our competitive advantage starting with our deliberate prioritization and investment in building our war-fighting noncommissioned officer corps... MORE