Developing Mach-21 Airmen

B-roll of multiple F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, taxi on the runway during Red Flag-Nellis 22-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, July 19, 2022. The Nevada Test and Training Range is the U.S. Air Force's premier military training area with more than 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Makenna Gott)

Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team sits down to talk all things RAT with Col. Rick Kend, 375th Air Mobility Wing deputy commander at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, along with Lt. Col. Johnathan McGill, Mobility Air Force division chief at HAF/A3 in the Pentagon who oversees the RAT portfolio as part of his duties, and Bob Remey, HQ AETC Training branch chief, whose team has developed RAT training for the enterprise. The trio talk about the strategic why behind RAT training, how it works in concert with the five drivers of change, specifics inside the ready training areas, and a look behind how wings and major commands could implement RAT in line with the Air Force Force Generation (AFFORGEN) presentation model and Agile Combat Employment. There is also a call for feedback from the field on how to improve RAT.

Chief Master Sgt. Stefan Blazier, Air University command chief, sits down with Chief Master Sgt. Lee Hoover, 42nd Air Base Wing command chief, and discusses Hoover's decision to join the military, highlights and favorite assignments during his career, why he stayed in the Air Force, and the importance of family and loving them today.

Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team spoke virtually with Mr. Harold Ward, director of the Air Force Culture and Language Center at Air University, discussing how language, regional expertise and culture education helps the Air Force to fly, fight and win by enabling the agile combat employment concept, commonly referred to as ACE.

Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team spoke virtually with Capt. Ashley Bird, 33rd Flying Training Squadron executive officer at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, about her journey to the military through ROTC at Purdue University, the path to becoming a pilot, the pros and cons of being a force generator instructor pilot, and her personal life being military married to military. Bird also talks about rated diversity improvement, which is the Air Force's focused, long-term effort to attract, recruit, develop, and retain a diverse rated leadership corps.

Airmen across the service can hear first-hand about upcoming changes to enlisted professional military education being made to develop the combat-ready Airmen we need for today's strategic competition environment is the focus of the latest episode of "The Air Force Starts Here," released Aug. 24, 2022. Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team spoke with Chief Master Sgt. Josh Lackey, command chief at Air University's Barnes Center, about the effort to help build multi-capable Airmen who are agile, critical thinkers with the ability to act in a disaggregated environment separated from command and control elements. This ties directly to Air Force Doctrine Publication 1, released last year, that notes the need for Airmen to be able to operate in the mission command construct.

Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team talks with Dr. Lauren Scharff, U.S. Air Force Academy professor of behavioral science, and John Reifenberg, AETC force development policy specialist, about the science behind both the growth and fixed mindsets, how the Academy and AETC are incorporating the growth mindset into training and education, and how it applies to organizations.

On this episode of the Air Force Starts Here podcast, Lt. Gaby Gosco from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team sits down with Floyd McKinney and Demetrius Stewart from the HQ AETC Learning Services division to discuss myTraining. The myTraining system, "powered by myLearning," is replacing the Total Force Training Record, or TFTR, for Airmen and Guardians and provides the capability through 21st Century learning tools to manage the training lifecycle for Total Force personnel.

On this episode of the Air Force Starts Here Podcast we discuss the Arnold Group, Air Education and Training Command's premier think tank, and their role of serving as the catalyst for innovation, pooling their wide experience to produce studies and answer the hard-hitting questions on Force Development and the future of education and training.

On episode 59 of "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast, Miriam Thurber from the Air Education and Training Command team speaks with Brig. General Shawn Campbell and Dr. Alex Barelka on the Air Force's foundational competency, Developing Organizations.

On episode 58 of the “The Air Force Starts Here” podcast, Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs teams talks with Dana Horn from the HQ AETC/A3PB Learning Professional branch about the recent launch of their learning professionals communities of practice. Topics discussed include the why and how the Communities of Practice on MilSuite have been formed to support the continuous learning of learning, how the communities of practice came about after collaboration with others on the AETC staff revealed a gap in developmental information, the collaborative aspect of development, and much more.

Episode 57 of "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast focused on the third group of the Air Force foundational competencies - Developing Ideas. In this episode, Jamal Qaiyyim, foundational competencies branch chief at Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, shared his insight on ways the A3/J team creates road maps for Airmen to better prepare them for the future. He was joined by Lt. Gen. Clinton Hinote, deputy chief of staff for strategy, integration, and requirements at Headquarters Air Force. Hinote discussed how Airmen continue to use this competency to prepare the force for the future, referring to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown's mandate to Accelerate Change or Lose.

In this episode of The Air Force Starts Here podcast we discuss the Air Force foundational competencies "Developing Others" category. The Air Force has identified 24 Airman's foundational competencies for all Airmen, as part of a systematic competency-based approach to develop the force. Developing Others is one of the four categorized groups for foundational competencies. The following competencies have been grouped under Developing others: Leadership, teamwork, develops people, service mindset and fosters inclusion.

Tech Training Transformation podcast with Dr. Major Jesse Johnson, Det. 23 commander and Tech. Sgt. Casey Michalski, Det. 23 curriculum engineer and C-130-J subject matter expert on the new re-engineered crew chief fundamentals course.

Tech Training Transformation podcast with Dr. Maj. Jesse Johnsonn, Det. 23 commander and Tech Sgt. Casey Michalski, Det. 23 curriculum engineer and C-130J subject matter expert where they discuss the re-engineered crew chief fundamentals course into a VR experience.

On this edition of the pod, Dan Hawkins from the AETC public affairs team sits down virtually to talk modernization with Ms. Lindsey Fredman and Chief Master Sgt. Jennifer Bye from the Air Force Career Development Academy, along with Master Sgts. Nikita Gunter, Steffan Gray and Dylan Peterson to discuss AFCDA's on-going effort to reimagine the service's Career Development Courses (CDCs) design and delivery model to Airmen in order to bring it into the 21st Century learning environment.

In episode 53 of The Air Force Starts Here podcast we discuss the decision to open Air Force basic military training graduation to guests starting July 22, 2021. Col. Jeffrey Pixley, commander of the 737th Training Group, joins Jennifer Gonzalez, AETC public affairs, and speaks about balancing the risk to mission, force and community.

Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, commander of AETC, sits down with Brig. Gen. Brenda Cartier to discuss LGBTQ+ issues and initiatives in the Air Force.

Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, commander of AETC, sits down with Brig. Gen. Brenda Cartier to discuss LGBTQ+ issues and initiatives in the Air Force.

The Air Force has identified 24 Airman's foundational competencies for all Airmen, as part of a systematic competency-based approach to develop the force. These foundational competencies are universally applicable to all Airmen and are categorized into four groups: Developing Self, Developing Others, Developing Ideas and Developing Organizations. In this episode of The Air Force Starts Here podcast, we explore the Airman's Foundational Competencies.

In episode 50 of "The Air Force Starts Here," we take a look back at how the COVID-19 pandemic and changed Air Force training. Gary Boyd, Air Education and Training Command historian, speaks with Maj. Gen. John J. DeGoes, who is the former 59th Medical Wing commander, and has been credited by Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, commander of AETC, as a pivotal leader in fighting through the pandemic.

DAWN-ED is a Department of the Air Force-funded degree program that provides up to 15 eligible Airmen and Guardians an opportunity to pursue a master’s degree or doctorate from a university of choice. Officers have until June 25, 2021, to apply for the 2022 academic year. Tune in to episode 48 of "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast, to learn more about the application process. Dr. Steven Hansen, DAWN-ED program manager, provides specifics on the program and application process. Capt. Ciara Figliuolo, from the 558th Flying Training Squadron and participant in the DAWN-ED master’s program last year, who will attend Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Science in artificial intelligence and innovation program is also a guest on the podcast.

In episode 48 of "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast, we celebrate Women’s History Month 2021 with four of the first-ever women to graduate Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training here in 1977. Capt. Kayshel Trudell from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team spoke with these trailblazers from UPT class 77-08. Joining the discussion was retired Col. Kathleen Cosand and retired Lt. Cols Mary Donahue, Sandra Scott and Mary Livingston who attended UPT from August 1976 to September 1977. These women left their mark on the pages of history and have opened doors for women pilots and Airmen for generations to come. Diversity in all forms makes the Air Force better and it’s more than race, gender and ethnicity, it’s about leveraging unique strengths, perspectives and experiences. Women serving past, present and future bring unique warfighting capabilities to our nation.

On episode 47 of "The Air Force Starts Here," Staff Sgt. Keith James from the Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs team sat down with Chief Master Sgt. Erik Thompson, AETC command chief to discuss the importance of force generators. Force Generators consist of recruiters, instructors and training leaders. These voluntary assignments are demanding opportunities, but offer positive career broadening experiences for Airmen to mature and grow as leaders.

On episode 46 of the "The Air Force Starts Here" Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs team sat down with Floyd McKinney, Adam Rusmussen and Lt. Col. Hien Nguyen from the HQ AETC/A3G to talk in-depth about "myLearning." The new secure learning management system (LMS) will enable student learning, automation and reporting for roughly 800,000 Total Force users in three phases, with the first phase consisting of a modernized and interactive training platform that allows Airmen to access training modules previously found on the Advanced Distributed Learning Service (ADLS). The LMS is part of Air Education and Training Command’s efforts to aggressively and cost-effectively modernize education and training to develop the Airmen we need.

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas - In episode 45 of "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast, we discuss a new force development tool for Air and Space Force professionals to grow professionally. The Developmental Special Experience (DSE) Catalog is a consolidated list of available learning activities outside the scope of formal training. It simplifies research efforts to find training opportunities available to Airmen and Guardians like internships, fellowships or developmental special duties. The Catalog is a single resource that can assist with personal development and integrate DSEs into Air and Space professionals’ career goals as a short term objective or long term career goal.

Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team spoke virtually with Maj. Kevin Hawkins and 1st Lt. Adam Treece from the 56th Operational Support Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, who along with Dylan Kerr, a student at Arizona State University, about their creation of a 3-D augmented reality system that will revolutionize the way pilots conduct mission debriefs. As part of AETC’s Spark Tank finalist team that will represent the command at Spark Tank 2021 coming up in Feb. 26-28, 2021, during the virtual Air Force Association Aerospace Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., Maj. Hawkins and Treece talk about how they adapted Microsoft HoloLens2 smart-glasses into a tool aircrews can use to conduct detailed mission debriefs from an interactive, three-dimensional perspective. Treece also talks about how the Spark Tank competition is a huge part of how the command values innovation and operationalizing Airmen’s best ideas to improve operations.

In episode 43 of "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast, we commemorate Four Chaplains Day, Feb. 3, 2021, and highlight the dedication of the U.S. Air Force Chaplain Corps to the resiliency of all Airmen.

In this episode of the Air Force Starts Here podcast we discuss the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine with Maj. Gen. (Dr.) John DeGoes, commander of the 59th Medical Wing.

In episode 41 of "The Air Force Starts Here" podcast we look back in history at the Air Force’s role in space here with AETC History and Museums Program Director, Mr. Gary Boyd, and AETC historian Mr. Rudy Purificato. Randolph Air Force Base has a history steeped in space innovation, which all occurred in Building 661. Building 661 was home to the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine and inaugurated the world’s first Department of Space Medicine in 1949. While there, many space firsts occurred like the first simulated fight to the moon, training of the first primates to go into sub-orbit and orbit -as well as the development of pressurized and heat resistant space suits.

The Airman’s Foundational Competencies are categorized into four major groups: Developing Self, Developing Others, Developing Ideas and Developing Organizations. Twenty-two competencies were approved last summer, two more were approved last month, and there are more competencies on the horizon. In this podcast we speak with Mr. Jamal Qaiyym, Branch Chief of the Foundational Competencies, and Dr. Laura Barron, Industrial Organizational Psychologist.

Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, commander of Air Education Training Command, hosted a commander’s call on Nov. 16. Webb, along with Chief Master Sgt. Erik Thompson, command chief of AETC, discuss the recently updated AETC Strategic Action Plan. This podcast features excerpts from the discussion.

On the podcast, Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs offices sits down remotely with Dr. Kristin Hissong, an assistant professor of regional and cultural studies at Air University's Air Force Culture and Language Center, to discuss her upcoming presentation at the AU Language, Regional Expertise and Culture Symposium happening Oct. 14-16, 2020. Hissong's presentation of "Women, Peace, Security" focuses on the impact women have had on the changing nature of warfare and the importance of women's equal participation, and full involvement in all efforts relating to the maintenance and promotion of peace and security.

On this episode, Jennifer Gonzalez from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team sat down remotely with Lori Phipps, who is the Director of the School Liaison Program for the Air Force, to talk about the school liaison program, what does it do for our AETC families and how it supports wing commanders. School liaison offices are on every installation worldwide and provides outreach, advocacy and partnership initiatives that generate real-time solutions for military students and families.

On this episode, Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs team sat down remotely with the team from the 323rd Training Squadron at JBSA-Lackland, known as the Mustangs, to talk about the evolution of the way Basic Military Training (BMT) executes physical training. Lt. Col. Ray Vann, Tech Sgts. Sarah Mitchell and Kenneth Snow talk about how, in partnership with the 559th Medical Group’s Sports Medicine Team, they created, tested and are currently implementing BMT's first high intensity, interval training (HIIT) program. This innovative program provides more diversity than the baseline BMT exercise program and presents an opportunity to increase physical fitness assessment scores while simultaneously mitigating the risk of injury to trainees.

On this episode of Air Education and Training Command's professional development podcast, Dan Hawkins from the AETC public affairs team sits down remotely with Tech. Sgt. Scott Eubanks from the Special Warfare Training Wing's 353rd Training Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, to talk about the incorporation and use of virtual-reality simulator in Tactical Air Control Party initial skills training. Eubanks talks in-depth about what a TAC-P does, what training is done in initial skills training, as well as all the details of the Joint Terminal Control Training Rehearsal System and its impact on training.

On the pod, Chief Master Sgt. Stefan Blazier, 37th Training Wing command chief, talks to a team of Military Training Instructors at Air Force Basic Military Training about the MTI Developmental Special Duty. Chief Blazier talks with the MTIs about how quickly they learned being an MTI was more important to the Airmen they lead and to themselves than they could have ever imagined, as well as how the DSD assignment as an MTI has directly resulted in their leadership growth, and much more.

On the pod, Chief Master Sgt. Stefan Blazier, 37th Training Wing command chief, talks to a team of Military Training Leaders at the wing about the MTL Developmental Special Duty. Chief Blazier talks with the MTLs about how quickly they learned being an MTL was more important to the Airmen they lead and to themselves than they could have ever imagined, as well as how the DSD assignment as an MTL has directly resulted in their leadership growth, and much more.

On the pod, Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs office sat down remotely with Ms. Lorelei Gomez, AETC’s Accreditation and Certification branch chief and Mr. Jason Grove, who is the credentialing project manager about their partnership with industry and academia to test a digital credentialing, or “badging” process, for individuals within the Air Force learning professionals, bioenvironmental and first sergeant communities. In line with the National Defense Strategy and AETC’s initiatives to Develop the Airmen We Need, the beta-test talks to advancing force development and will allow Airmen to start earning credentials that are personal, verifiable, transferable and shareable.

On the pod, Dan Hawkins from the Air Education and Training Command public affairs office sits down with Chief Master Sgt. Jason O'Donley and Tech. Sgt. David Valencia from the Air Force Recruiting Service's innovation cell about the new "Aim High" total force recruiting phone application. The app is a one stop shop will help potential recruits find Air Force-related information and for recruiters to virtually connect with future Airmen in a way they are used to - through their phones.

On the pod, Dan Hawkins from Air Education and Training Command public affairs virtually sat down with Maj. Adam "Boomer Smith from Holloman AFB, N.M., director of Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Training Next, to talk about the future of RPA pilot and sensor operator training. Smith goes in-depth on revisions being made to the undergraduate RPA pilot and sensor operator training course, including the use of virtual and augmented reality, as well as how technology is being base-lined across all aspects of training from initial skills and out to formal training units, as well as the operational side.

On the pod, Dan Hawkins from Air Education and Training Command public affairs virtually sat down with Maj. Kamy Jenkins, the 97th Medical Group Mental Health Clinic flight commander, and Master Sgt. Jessica Williams, the 97th MDG Mental Health Clinic flight chief, located in Mobility’s Hometown at Altus AFB to talk about the importance of mental health. Jenkins and Williams go in depth on everything from why maintaining healthy balance at home and work is critical right now, to how to overcome challenges and even build your mental heath with tons of amazing tools and resources at your disposal.