Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      graphicAir Force BMT, technical and flying training mission essential, to continue
                        
                        
                        Air Force basic military training, technical training and flying training has been deemed mission essential and will continue operations with mitigation, Air Education and Training Command announced March 17, 2020. (U.S. Air Force graphic by Dan Hawkins)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Air Force BMT, technical and flying training mission essential, to continue with mitigationPublished March 17, 2020
                    
                    By Dan Hawkins
                    
                    
                    Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
            **JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) --**The Department of Defense response to the coronavirus outbreak continues to be dynamic and policy may quickly change, but as of March 17, U.S. Air Force's basic military training, technical training and flying training operations have been deemed mission essential and will continue with mitigation for COVID-19, Air Education and Training Command announced.
Additionally, all technical training and undergraduate flying training students will continue to out-process after graduation and travel to their first duty station upon completion of training.
“Force health protection is our top priority and we will continually be monitoring the current COVID-19 situation and our recruiting, training and education operations daily to ensure we are doing all we can to protect our Airmen and maintain mission readiness,” said Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, AETC commander. “Calm is contagious. We are making every decision in joint coordination with our sister services, and implementing mitigation tactics where necessary, with the commitment to preserving the ability of our servicemen and women to provide for national defense and current worldwide military missions.”
Until further notice, all BMT flights currently in training will continue until their training objectives are met, with no flight consolidation at this time.
In a change to routine basic military training operations, flights originally scheduled to graduate on Fridays will now graduate on Thursday, with the next graduation happening March 19.
All BMT graduation events remain private and closed to the public, with a live-stream of Thursday graduation ceremonies on the 37th Training Wing Facebook page. The wing is also actively exploring other methods to allow families to view other BMT events online.
If significant changes to BMT operations occur, we will continue to disseminate this information.
For Airmen arriving at technical training, the owning installation commander will determine when it is safe for them to travel off base, based on the current health protection conditions and DoD guidance.
For flying training, all related training is scheduled to continue, including PCS and TDY for aircrew students and career enlisted aviators.
Specifically, pipeline training (e.g. water survival, centrifuge, SERE, etc.) will continue unless previously noted. Additional measures are being considered to account for force health protection, such as altering class makeup in certain cases.
On graduation for both technical training and flying training students, losing units will coordinate with the gaining units to work specific mitigation and travel issues as needed. Overseas travel will be coordinated in accordance with DoD guidelines.
Finally, at Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, both Officer Training School and the Reserve Officer Training Corps is considered mission essential. Longer duration courses such as the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Air War College and Air Command and Staff College will continue as scheduled.
All students attending courses at AU in a TDY status have or will be returned to their home stations. These courses include enlisted and officer PME, as well as the First Sergeant Academy. Where possible, students will continue their courses virtually and receive credit.
For Airmen scheduled to cross-train and attend training, travel guidance is still being worked and will be disseminated once available.
“This is a rapidly evolving, fluid situation,” Webb said. “We need your patience as we work through every scenario so we can provide you with the best information possible.”LR 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



BMT 



basic military training 



AETC 



Air Education and Training Command 



Technical Training 



flying training 



COVID-19 



force health protection 



medical 



Novel Coronavirus 



new coronavirus 



graduation 



recruiting 



JB San Antonio-Randolph 



JB San Antonio-Lackland 



Maxwell AFB 



Air University 



AU 



OTS 



ROTC 



Officer Training School 



Reserve Officer Training Corps Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil