# News

## U.S. Air Force LogoUnited States Air Force

# AETC commander announces rebalanced mission, vision focus

              - Published  Nov. 29, 2022
              - Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs

**JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO- LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) --  **
**Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson**, commander of **Air Education and Training Command**, recently announced the command’s rebalanced mission, vision and lines of effort that will continue to accelerate change, while building the force necessary for the high-end fight.“Air Education and Training Command has the potential to be, and should be, ground-zero for accelerating change across the United States Air Force,” Robinson said. “That means modernizing, transforming and codifying the equipment, systems, architectures, training and strategies foundational to training and developing every Airman.”With Department of Defense leaders acknowledging the high-end fight’s risk of failure, AETC’s refocused mission, vision and lines of efforts all target the beginning-to-end pursuit of readiness through recruitment, infrastructure, innovation and education.To set the tone for the latest National Defense Strategy, Secretary of Defense **Lloyd Austin** charged the total force with “undertaking reforms to accelerate force development, getting the technology we need more quickly, and investing in the extraordinary people of the Department,” to build enduring advantages for the future force.Building the future of the U.S. Air Force has always been the mission for AETC’s total force and the framework for the major command, which prides itself as the command that first impacts and creates a foundation for the majority of Airmen.**Mission***Find, recruit, train, and educate the Airmen the nation needs.*This future begins with a renewed focus on recruiting.Only 23 percent of American youth are eligible for service without acquiring a waiver and only 9 percent of those eligible say they would be interested in military service. Because this pool is so small and the need is so great, a robust and effective recruiting capability is a vital, no-fail component to the AETC mission.“From the moment our Airmen shake hands with their recruiters, we need them to understand we are in search of the best of the best,” said Chief Master Sgt. Erik Thompson, command chief of AETC. “Our greatest resource, and strategic advantage, are our Airmen, and they’ll be expected to maintain that advantage every day.”**Vision***Develop Airmen with the competencies to win the high-end competition.*From recruiting to the cradle-to-grave cycle of training and education required to ensure the Airman advantage is being maintained, a vital component to Airman lethality and readiness is focusing on how their core and career competencies are being developed. The bedrock of AETC’s mission effectiveness is ensuring an appropriate environment of excellence across all lines of effort.Effective immediately, AETC leadership at every echelon is expected to carry out the mission and vision guided by the following lines of effort:Modernize and integrate total force recruiting and accessionsPivot AETC focus to transform technical training transformation; continue to refine flying trainingIncorporate digital-age technology across the commandImplement data strategy and standards that integrate Department of the Air Force learning and talent management to align with DOD systemsModernize infrastructure – dorms to classrooms – to create digital-age campuses of the futureRapidly codify Airmen competencies for great power competitionThese lines of effort support the intent to provide digital-age training, education, and development to produce the most competitive Airmen possible for serving the component and combatant commands in the future fight.“Every Air Force specialty is present in our formation here in the First Command,” Robinson said. “This is our opportunity as force generators to train, equip and empower every Airman, to widen the gap between the U.S. Air Force and its competitors, and maintain the advantage as the world’s greatest Air Force.“The sense of urgency is now... and time is of the essence,” he continued.

FSUSAFAFAir ForceAETCAir Education and Training CommandmissionvisionFocusmodernization