Air Education and Training Command, with headquarters at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, was established and activated in January 1942, making it the oldest major command in the Air Force. AETC’s training mission makes it the first command to touch the lives of nearly every Air Force member. AETC was formed in 1942 as the Army Air Corps Flying Training Command with headquarters in Washington, D.C. Less than a year later, the headquarters moved to Fort Worth, Texas. During World War II the command provided technical and flying training at more than 600 installations, factories and institutions of higher learning. The headquarters moved to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, in 1946, to Scott AFB, Illinois, in 1949, and finally to Randolph AFB in 1957. In July 1993, Air Training Command and Air University merged to form AETC. This redesignation allowed the command to retain all of its previous heritage and honors. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure plan renamed Randolph Air Force Base, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph. Over the years, more than 25 million students have graduated from AETC training and education programs.
Mission
To recruit, train, and educate professional Airmen.
AETC is directly accountable for the quality, readiness, and character of every Airman we deliver to the force, and every activity across the enterprise must align to the desired end state: producing disciplined, capable, Airmen for the Joint Force who can win our nation’s wars.
Vision
Develop Airmen for the U.S. Air Force with the competencies and warrior ethos to win.
Lines of effort
1. FORGE AIRMEN OF CHARACTER
2. INSPIRE AND ATTRACT THE NEXT GENERATION OF AIRMEN
3. MODERNIZE TRAINING FOR SPEED AND AGILITY
Personnel and Resources
More than 29,000 active-duty members, 6,000 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel, and 15,000 civilian personnel make up AETC. The command also has more than 11,000 contractors assigned. AETC flies approximately 1,300 aircraft.
Organization
Air Education and Training Command comprises the Air Force Accessions Center, Second Air Force, Nineteenth Air Force, and Air University, operating a network of major installations and numerous tenant and geographically separated units worldwide. Its NAF and NAF‑equivalent structure includes Second Air Force, Nineteenth Air Force, Air University, and the 502nd Air Base Wing, which provides installation support across Joint Base San Antonio. AETC also partners with Guard and Reserve training wings including the 149th FW, 150th SOW, 162nd WG, 163rd ATKW, 173rd FW, 174th Attack Wing, 188th Wing, 189th AW, 908th FTW, and 944th FW, to deliver recruiting, basic military training, technical training, flying training, medical training, and professional military education across a nationwide network.
AETC Installations:
- Altus AFB, Oklahoma
- Goodfellow AFB, Texas
- Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
- JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Texas
- JBSA-Randolph, Texas
- Luke AFB, Arizona
- Columbus AFB, Mississippi
- Keesler AFB, Mississippi
- Laughlin AFB, Texas
- Maxwell AFB, Alabama
- Sheppard AFB, Texas
- Holloman AFB, New Mexico
- Vance AFB, Oklahoma
Point of Contact
Air Education and Training Command, Public Affairs Office: 100 H Street, Ste 4; Randolph AFB, Texas 78150-4331; (210) 652-4400; Click here to email us.
(Current as of May 2026)