The Air Force is looking to consolidate its training of battlefield airmen from eight bases now to “something less,” likely three or four locations, Air Education and Training Command chief Gen. Darryl Roberson told reporters at ASC16. Roberson said that the consolidation will save money by keeping like functions together, better standardizing training and avoiding the need to send airmen to another base for the next leg of their instruction. Those shifts often cause a week-long break in training, which disrupts the rhythm of instruction, plus the airmen have to be paid for that travel time and their travel expenses, Roberson said.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
