ATC/AETC Operations in the 90's

May 90 The Chief of Staff of the Air Force directed a reduction in the size of Air Force management structure. During the year, HQ ATC realigned its DCS/Security Police as a directorate under the Inspector General, reassigned many of its direct reporting units to the newly activated 3300th Training Support Group, and inactivated the 3313th Medical Service and 3314th Management Engineering Squadrons.

10 Aug 90 - 4 Jan 91 ATC deployed 397 people to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Desert Shield and provided additional people to backfill other commands in the United States. 1 Oct 90 ATC redesignated the Foreign Military Training Affairs Group at Randolph AFB as the Air Force Security Assistance Training Group. On this date, the command also inactivated the DoD Military Working Dog Agency at Lackland AFB to centralize the procurement and training of working dogs for all of the military services.

Jan - Mar 91 ATC undertook several actions in support of Operation Desert Storm. These included deploying over 3,000 people to other commands and helping with the mobilization of thousands of reservists and retirees. The 11th Contingency Hospital, an Air Force Reserve unit assigned to ATC, deployed to RAF Little Rissington, United Kingdom. The command also established blood donor centers at Chanute, Keesler, Lackland, and Sheppard. By the end of April, the command had shipped over 6,000 pints of blood.

5 Apr 91 ATC initiated a new merit assignment ranking system that allowed UPT students to select their assignments.

1 Jul 91 ATC reassigned the 1st Flight Screening Squadron at Hondo, Texas, from the Officer Training School at Lackland to the 12th Flying Training Wing at Randolph AFB.

15 Jul 91 The 502d Air Force Band at Keesler AFB and the 505th at Chanute AFB inactivated, leaving ATC with one band, the 539th at Lackland AFB.

1 Oct 91 The San Antonio Joint Military Medical Command inactivated, and Wilford Hall became a direct reporting unit to HQ ATC. Also on this date, ATC inactivated Air Training Communications Division as the last step in its effort to integrate communications and computer systems functions.

18 Jan 92 Air Training Command receives its first T-1A Jayhawk trainer aircraft at Reese AFB, Texas. With the T-1A, ATC would implement its new specialized undergraduate pilot training program. Phase I training began at Reese in July.

20 Feb 92 In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen Merrill A. McPeak, announced that 1992 would be devoted to the Year of Training. 1 Apr 92 The Community College of the Air Force graduated its 100,000th student, TSgt Gordon J. Wiese.

29 Apr 92 The Air Force announced it had chosen a variant of the Slingsby Firefly as its enhanced flight screener aircraft. The new aircraft, designated the T-3A, would replace the T-41.

23 Aug 92 Hurricane Andrew devastated Homestead AFB, Florida. As an interim measure, the Air Force moved the Inter-American Air Forces Academy to Lackland AFB, Texas, and water survival training to Tyndall AFB, Florida. As a result of the 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations, IAAFA was permanently moved to Lackland, transferring from Air Combat Command to Air Training Command in June 1993. Water survival training moved to Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, in 1994.

1 Dec 92 USAF weather training classes began at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, after moving from Chanute AFB, Illinois, which was scheduled to close in 1993.

15 Dec 92 The 12th Flying Training Wing at Randolph AFB, Texas, activated the 558th Flying Training Squadron to conduct specialized undergraduate navigator training, a mission that was moved to Randolph because of the 1993 closure of Mather AFB, California.

12 Apr 93 The Air Staff approved moving small missile maintenance training from Lowry AFB, Colorado, which would close in 1994, to Vandenberg AFB, California, where it would be consolidated with large missile maintenance training.

1 Jul 93 Air Training Command and Air University underwent significant changes. The USAF consolidated aircrew training within ATC and transferred associated bases from Air Combat Command and Air Mobility Command. AU lost its major command status when it is subordinated to Air Training Command, and ATC was redesignated as Air Education and Training Command. The command activated Second Air Force to manage its technical training programs and Nineteenth Air Force to manage its flying training programs. The training centers were redesignated as training wings, and Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center became the 59th Medical Wing.

16 Aug 93 Fire training began at Goodfellow AFB, Texas, after moving from Chanute AFB, Illinois.

8 Sep 93 AETC began a joint pilot training program with the Navy at Reese AFB, Texas. Navy instructor pilots arrived at Reese in September, and the first students entered the program in June 1994.

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1 Oct 93 Chanute, Mather, and Williams AFBs closed. The USAFÕs Officer Training School moved from Lackland AFB to Maxwell AFB, Alabama.

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15 Dec 93 AETC activated the College for Enlisted Professional Military Education as an AU subordinate unit to consolidate enlisted PME under a single manager. Major command NCO academies and the USAF Senior NCO Academy came under the newly established CEPME.

3 Feb 94 Air Education and Training Command received its first T-3A enhanced flight screener aircraft at Hondo Field, Texas.

10 Feb 94 1st Lt Jeannie Flynn became the Air Force's first female fighter pilot, having graduated from F-15E combat crew training at Luke AFB, Arizona.

17 Mar 94 As a part of the Year of Training initiative, all new recruits had to attend technical training school immediately following basic military training. The last recruit to bypass technical training and receive a direct duty assignment graduated from BMT on this date.

1 Apr 94 The 56th Fighter Wing designation transferred from Air Combat Command to Air Education and Training Command, and AETC used it to assume the assets and host unit responsibilities of the 58th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB, Arizona. At the same time, AETC moves the 58th Fighter Wing designation from Luke to Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, and redesignated the 58th as a Special Operations Wing. The 58th assumed the assets and the mission of the 542d Crew Training Wing, which inactivated on this date.

22 Jun 94 Air Education and Training Command began C-17 operational aircrew training at Altus AFB, Oklahoma.

1 Jul 94 Flying training returned to Keesler AFB, Mississippi, for the first time since 1973 when AETC activated the 45th Airlift Squadron. The squadron was equipped with C-12 and C-21 aircraft.

6 Jul 94 The 59th Medical Wing (formerly, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center) at Lackland deployed nearly 100 staff members to Grand Turk Island in support of Operation Sea Signal, the resettlement of Cuban and Haitian refugees. Altogether, AETC deployed 487 people during the last six months of 1994 to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the Caribbean in support of Sea Signal.

Sept 94 The 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland deployed 27 people in support of Operation Restore Democracy in Haiti.

1 Oct 94 Lowry AFB, Colorado, closed. Air Education and Training Command activated the 381st Training Group at Vandenberg AFB, California, to manage consolidated space and missile training for the Air Force.

27 Jan 95 The first joint specialized undergraduate pilot training class graduated at Reese AFB, Texas, with two Navy officers in the class.

31 Mar 95 Air Education and Training Command inactivated the 550th Fighter Squadron at Luke AFB, Arizona, as its F-15E training program transferred to Air Combat Command. Apr 95 The Community College of the Air Force granted its first degrees to Army, Navy, and Marine Corps students.

19 Apr 95 Luke AFB, Arizona, sent 62 firefighters to Oklahoma City to assist with rescue efforts following the car bombing of the federal building. Three aircraft from Randolph AFB, Texas, flew emergency support missions to transport US Army and USAF medical personnel to Oklahoma City to assist victims of the federal building bombing.

22 Jun 95 The Base Realignment and Closure Commission identified Reese AFB, Texas, for closure in 1997. AETC would move its joint pilot training program to Vance AFB, Oklahoma, during 1996. Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall announced the selection of the Beech MK II as the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System. AETC expected the first aircraft to be delivered to Randolph AFB in fiscal year 1999.

14 Dec 95 The 59th Medical Wing at Lackland AFB deployed two critical care transport teams, consisting of three people each, to Bosnia.

25 Jan 96 The 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus AFB, Mississippi, received its first T-1A Jayhawk, the last specialized undergraduate pilot training (SUPT) wing to do so. The delivery marked the end of AETCÕs transition to SUPT that began in January 1992.

28 Mar 96 A U.S. Navy commander took command of the 8th Flying Training Squadron, becoming the first Navy officer to command a squadron at Vance AFB, Oklahoma. 31 Jul 96 The Air Force awarded three contracts worth $750 million for the T-38 Avionics Upgrade Program, which included improved avionics systems, new aircrew training devices, and contractor logistics support. Aug 96 Lackland AFB began a month-long, over-night, field training exercise for basic trainees at ÒDiamondback Ridge,Ó a simulated bare base located on Medina Annex.

1 Apr 97 AETC took over the C-130 schoolhouse when it gained the 314th Airlift Wing and Little Rock AFB, AR from ACC.

2 May 97 With the graduation of Class 97-08 at Columbus AFB, MS, AETC completed the transition to specialized undergraduate pilot training that the command had begun in July 1992 at Reese AFB, TX.

25 Jul 97 General Lloyd W. Newton, AETC commander, suspended all T-3A flights and ordered a Broad Area review of the Enhanced Flight Screening program. The move followed the three fatal T-3A crashes at the Air Force Academy.

12 Sep 97 Air University activated the Air and Space Basic Course (ABC) School at Maxwell AFB, AL. Later it became the Aerospace Basic Course under the Squadron Officer College. 30 Sep 97 AETC inactivated the 64th Flying Training Wing at Reese AFB, TX before the base closed the following day.

15 Jul 98 The initial flight of the first production T-6A Texan II took place at Raytheon's Beech Field in Wichita, KS. Eventually, the T-6A would replace the Air ForceÕs T-37 and the Navy's T-34 as the main element of the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS).

7 Dec 98 The U.S. Department of Education gave its approval for the resident Air War College (AWC) and Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) to award master's degrees to their graduates.

1 Oct 99 AETC initiated Warrior Week at Lackland AFB to give basic military trainees a taste of life under the Expeditionary Aerospace Force (EAF) concept.Ê It marked the biggest change in basic military training in over 50 years.

8 Oct 99 AETC announced an end to T-3A flying training operations. In place of the Enhanced Flight Screening program, the command intended to expand the fledgling Introductory Flight Training program conducted by fixed base operators across the country.