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Air Education and Training Command (AETC) predates the establishment of the Air Force.

The War Department activated AETC as the Air Corps Flying Training Command on 23 Jan 1942, redesignated it as the Army Air Forces (AAF) Flying Training Command in Mar 1942, added technical training to its mission in 1943 and redesignated the command as Army Air Forces Training Command on 31 Jul 1943.

By the end of World War II, AAF Training Command had produced about 200,000 pilots, 48,000 navigators and air crew, 1.9 million technical training graduates, and a staggering 2.8 million basic military training graduates. On 1 Jul 1946, AAF Training Command became Air Training Command (ATC).

Air University merged with ATC on 1 Jul 1993, and the command took its present designation of Air Education and Training Command. "The First Command," AETC is responsible for recruiting, technical training, flying training, and the continuing education of each generation of Airmen. Inspired Airmen are ready to perform the mission anywhere, anytime thanks to the dedicated professionals of AETC.

The mission of the AETC History and Research Office is to inspire and inform Airmen to win any fight using our shared Air Force heritage and history. Their vision is to fortify resiliency in all airmen by providing history and heritage expertise and products