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AETC Leadership

AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND

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 disciplined 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

4. SUPPORT QUALITY OF LIFE AND FAMILY READINESS

Personnel and Resources 
More than 20,300 active-duty members, 4,100 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel, and 12,122 civilian personnel make up AETC's permanent party. AETC flies an inventory of approximately 1,000 aircraft, executing hundreds of thousands of flying hours annually.

Organization 

Air Education and Training Command operates a worldwide network of major installations, tenant units, and geographically separated units. Its organizational structure is built around four NAF (Numbered Air Force) and NAF-equivalent commands:

  • Air Force Accessions Center (AFAC): Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, AFAC is responsible for active-duty Air Force and Space Force recruiting, as well as Air Force Reserve recruiting, in partnership with Air Force Reserve Command. It also oversees officer pre-commissioning via the Holm Center.

  • Second Air Force (2 AF): Headquartered at Keesler AFB, Mississippi, Second Air Force trains, develops, and inspires Airmen, delivering technical, basic military, medical, and distance learning courses.

  • Nineteenth Air Force (19 AF): Headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, Nineteenth Air Force is responsible for training flight crews, remotely piloted aircraft crews, air battle managers, weapons directors, and administering survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE) training.

  • Air University (AU): Headquartered at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, Air University serves as the Air Force's lead academic institution, offering advanced military graduate programs, professional military education, and career-long professional development.

Comprehensive installation support across Joint Base San Antonio is provided by the 502nd Air Base Wing. Additionally, AETC partners with key Guard and Reserve units—including the 340th Flying Training Group, 730th Air Mobility Training Squadron, 908th Flying Training Wing, 150th Special Operations Wing, 174th Attack Wing, and 189th Airlift Wing—to deliver comprehensive training, recruiting, and education across the country.

AETC Installations: 


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 July 2026)