Gen. William Looney, head of Air Education and Training Command, told reporters in Washington Tuesday that he expects a decision on the new Common Battlefield Airmen Training center by January. AETC plans to consolidate and expand the Air Force’s specialized ground-based training efforts at the new center. The command issued an environmental impact statement covering the three final potential locations—Barksdale AFB, La., Arnold AFB, Tenn., and Moody AFB, Ga.—this summer. Looney said a report outlining each of the locations’ strengths and weaknesses has been submitted to the Air Staff for review. The program eventually will expand to host more than 14,400 airmen every year, solidifying skills for traditional battlefield airmen such as combat weathermen, combat controllers and pararescuers—as well as combat small arms and small unit tactics for a wide range of career fields deploying or used as in-lieu-of forces.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the site of U.S. Space Command’s future home Dec. 12 and endorsed the move to establish the headquarters in Alabama after years of political back and forth.
