NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Lt. Gen. Brian Robinson, commander of Air Education Training Command, emphasized the importance of developing Airmen for the high-end fight during a panel discussion with Maj. Gen. Shawn Bratton, commander of Space Training and Readiness Command; and Maj. Gen. Case Cunningham, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center commander; at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Sept. 21, 2022.
Robinson took command in May and is responsible for the recruitment, training and education of Air and Space Force personnel. He said that ensuring top-quality Airmen are selected to train and educate the next generation of Airmen and Guardians is critical in maintaining the competitive edge over the Air Force's adversaries.
“Our first and most strategic concern is recruiting,” Robinson said. “We must evolve our approach to recruiting in a way that increases the evidence-based value statement to this generation that we want to join our forces. The other piece of that is that we have to change the narrative or evolve the narrative and talk about the strength of our brand. The brand is what we’re about and how we can contribute to advancing air power, space power and the United States of America in this great power competition.”
Robinson also said that in order to remain in competition with the nation’s pacing threats, AETC must prioritize quality and efficiency in how Airmen are trained and educated.
He said that although pilot training is a major focus and very important, the majority, by volume, of AETC's requirements and responsibilities lie in enabling other Air Force specialties, be it basic military training, technical training or professional military education.
Robinson also emphasized how data guides the future of training, readiness and talent management.
“We must be able to access the data, push the data, and understand the data in order to deliver learning and understand competencies gained,” Robinson said. “In partnership, we want to put the right people in the right places, where they can contribute the most.”
He also said with regard to Multi Capable Airmen, “AETC plays a key role in delivering the right dose of mindset exposure and experiential training with hands-on training at the right levels.”
Panel members also discussed the efforts to improve and refine Professional Military Education (PME) for future officer, enlisted, and civilian Airmen.
“The inflection points I see that provide the greatest opportunity for us to transform and help the Air Force achieve its objectives are through Air University and the PME schools for both officers and enlisted Airmen and Guardians,” Robinson said. “We must get our folks calibrated in ways that they can understand the joint warfighting concept and apply it in their daily operations.”
Air Education and Training Command, with its 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. Its training mission makes it the First Command…touching the lives of nearly every Air Force member.