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97th AMW honors CCAF graduates

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Cody Dowell
  • Altus Air Force Base Public Affairs

28 members from the 97th Air Mobility Wing received Community College of the Air Force degrees during a graduation ceremony, June 18, 2020. This ceremony celebrated the graduates of the fall 2019 and spring 2020 classes.

The CCAF is a federally-chartered academic institution that serves the United States Air and Space Force's enlisted total force, according to Air University’s website. The CCAF partners with 112 affiliated Air and Space Force schools and education service offices located worldwide to serve approximately 270,000 active, guard, and reserve enlisted personnel, making CCAF the world's largest community college.

“We sit down with members and see what has to be accomplished to achieve their CCAF,” said Rhonda Rowles, the chief of education and training for the education office assigned to the 97th Force Support Squadron. “The staff does an excellent job, putting credits towards a member’s degree. The staff will go over what the member has already accomplished and then go through options on how to get the rest of the credits required to earn a degree.”  

According to Rowles for the graduating class of October and April, graduations are held in the following spring.

“I cross trained so I just achieved my CCAF in criminal justice, but recently finished my last class needed to get my CCAF for paralegal studies,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Alexandra Baker, the NCO in charge of civil law assigned to the 97th Air Mobility Wing. “It felt like a big relief to finally get my certificate and it is a motivator to keep me going forward to do my best.”

Members graduating received their degrees in a variety of areas, including: human resource management, emergency management, aviation operations, and instructor of technology and military science. The graduation ceremony itself is a way to recognize the member’s accomplishments across the wing.

“The formal ceremony we usually have every spring was delayed because of COVID,” said Rowles. “Since the last formal graduation, 103 CCAF degrees were achieved by base members, but only 28 were able to attend the ceremony. The education office worked hard to assist members from home during that time and finally with proper precautions taken place we were able to hold the ceremony.”

To learn more about CCAF degrees, schedule an appointment with the Altus AFB education office at 580-481-6619, visit www.airuniversity.af.edu or visit the local education center.