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AETC, STARCOM commanders discuss training, readiness

  • Published
  • By AETC Public Affairs
  • Air Education and Training Command

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, commander of Air Education and Training Command, and Air National Guard Brig. Gen. Shawn Bratton, commander of United States Space Force Training and Readiness Command, discussed wartime readiness during a panel at the 2022 Air Force Association Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida, March 4.

The theme of “Warfighter Training and Readiness” is significant to both commanders, charged with similar responsibilities – to develop, educate and train, from accessions to separation or retirement and at every career milestone in between.

“We develop Airmen of character and we are the foundation for the lethal force,” Webb said.  “A fundamental advancement to developing the Airmen we need is that we've identified specific foundational competencies across four buckets: developing self, developing others, developing ideas and developing organizations.

"These build the agile mindset we talk about and are going to be the key for AETC going forward."

Unlike the 80-year span of AETC’s legacy, STARCOM’s history began Aug. 23, 2021.

“The STARCOM mission is pretty straightforward: prepare every guardian for competition and conflict," Bratton said. "That foundation existed in the squadrons that transferred over and we are leveraging everything that AETC does." 

The connection and partnerships between AETC and STARCOM are strong with regular discussions on basic military training, ROTC activities, professional military education and test and training activities.

"From policy to doctrine it's been a nonstop build but what we owe to all of our Guardians is that when they come into conflict in the space domain, they're prepared," said Bratton. "Laying that foundation and then reinforcing it throughout a career is what we're all about. We're getting after it every day."

Webb added that when it comes to training, while it's easy to get into discussions on production and meeting a number, "as cliché-ridden as it may sound, quality is job one." 

Both Webb and Bratton emphasized that warfighter readiness is about developing the most important weapons system - the Airmen and Guardians who execute the mission. 

“Culturally in the Air Force, when we talk about near peer adversaries, we like to talk about weapons," said Webb. "The Air Force’s asymmetric advantage is our Airmen and Guardians and it’s about being comfortable with uncertainty and having an agile mindset.”