Air Education and Training Command celebrated its 70th anniversary this week. The organization, headquartered at Randolph AFB, Tex., traces its roots to the Army’s Air Corps Flying Training Command that was created on Jan. 23, 1942, to meet the sudden demand for flight training as the United States entered World War II. After several redesignations during the war, it became Air Training Command in 1946 and then morphed into AETC on July 1, 1993, with the merger of Air University and ATC. Today, AETC is responsible for recruiting, training, and educating airmen through basic military training, initial and advanced technical training, and professional military education. The organization includes more than 56,000 active duty airmen, 16,000 civilians, and 4,000 Air National Guardsmen and Reservists. Ann Hussey, an AETC historian, said what is most significant at AETC today is its focus on modernization and enhancing the level of education for all airmen. (Randolph report by Dianne Moffett)
The U.S. has approved a $310.5 million Foreign Military Sale to provide Ukraine with maintenance and training for its F-16 fighter jets, the State Department announced May 2. Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force has been sending retired F-16s to Ukraine to be used for spare parts.