CMSAF Calls on AETC to deliver training at the speed of relevance Published Sept. 15, 2026 Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- Air Education and Training Command was central to Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe’s keynote address at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference Sept. 14, where he linked Air Force readiness to the service’s ability to develop adaptable, operationally minded Airmen. Using auto racing as a metaphor for readiness, Wolfe said success depends on more than the person behind the wheel. It requires a disciplined team, reliable fundamentals, timely information, and the ability to adapt when conditions change. For AETC, that translates into a mandate to build a training and education enterprise that is operationally relevant, globally accessible, responsive to mission demands, and capable of delivering new learning requirements at the speed of relevance. Basic Military Training modernization Addressing the large crowd of Airmen and Guardians, Wolfe’s first keynote topic was the on-going modernization changes occurring at Basic Military Training. “For 79 years, we have evolved Basic Military Training to give us today’s Air Force, which remains unquestionably the best in the world. But we must get better,” he said. Using the racing analogy and the teamwork it takes to win, Wolfe noted that civilians are taught military discipline, standards, teamwork, physical readiness, and the fundamentals of service in 7.5 weeks at the 37th Training Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. “Yet the work of making an Airman cannot idle at the starting line,” he added. The CMSAF echoed what Second Air Force and BMT officials have described as “from the drill pad to the airfield.” The Air Force’s BMT modernization, known as “BMT Next”, is shifting training toward earlier operational context, Airmindedness, and the practical roles Airmen play in defending, operating, generating, and sustaining airpower. Air Base Training Ranges are in the process of being built at BMT, and will add immersive, hands-on exposure to airfield operations, air base defense, and mission generation, including training with F-16s and C-130s, to expose trainees early in their career and better prepare trainees for contested and expeditionary environments. “An Airman will leave BMT understanding something very simple,” Wolfe said. “No matter your specialty, you are an Airman first. We are giving Airmen operational context earlier. Airmen will continue to be evaluated against the traditional standards of military culture and discipline, but through the lens of what it means to be an Airman, focused on the two most important things we do in the Air Force: fly and fix airplanes.” Enlisted Development Continuum Wolfe also addressed the need to modernize the enlisted development continuum and specifically used the Enlisted Professional Military Education Foundations 300 course as an example. The education model Wolfe described would allow AETC to bring learning to Airmen. The modernization effort does not replace traditional resident PME courses, it expands delivery options to reduce in-person requirements and better accommodate mission demands. “Right now, this course is delivered in a five-day block. That is a week away from the mission,” he said. “With Enlisted Professional Military Education modernization, an Airman will have the option to attend Foundations 300 either in person or through a facilitated, globally connected virtual platform delivered at the pace the mission allows.” Wolfe also added that in the coming months an adjunct faculty program that will modernize how foundation courses are delivered. “The adjunct faculty program will enable chiefs, senior noncommissioned officers, and noncommissioned officers to teach the subjects they know best,” he said, adding that the instruction will reach Airmen anywhere in the world who need it to meet their Foundations requirement. Naming the AETC command chief, Wolfe stated “Chief [Chad] Bickley, I know you, the team, and Air Education and Training Command have a lot of work ahead, and I am committed to ensuring you have the resources and policy changes you need to execute this vision.” Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence emerged as both an operational opportunity and a training challenge. Wolfe stated that the Air Force needs a way to rapidly build and distribute AI education across the force without relying exclusively on additional computer-based training requirements or pulling Airmen away from their units for extended periods. He stated that throughout his career technology kept moving, it had to be learned, understood and Airmen figured out how to use it responsibly; and that AI is no different. Wolfe described AI as a technology the Air Force must learn to employ responsibly rather than avoid. “There are real questions about how we use it, where we trust it, how we protect information, and how human judgment still has to lead,” he said. He also told that crowd that AI may not replace humans, “but if you choose not to use AI, you are going to end up in everyone else’s rearview mirror.” With this thought in mind, Wolfe created an AI Action Team that now sits at more than 200 members from across the Air Force. What started as a grassroots connective tissue for AI missions across the force is now evolving into a comprehensive department-level team focused on AI integration. For AETC, Wolfe’s remarks reinforced a command-wide effort underway to accelerate warfighter development across the training and education enterprise and ensure training keeps pace with operational demands. The overarching message is that future readiness will depend on strong fundamentals, continuous development, adaptable training systems, innovation, connected teams, and responsible use of emerging technologies.