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THE AIR EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMAND THE FIRST COMMAND
DRILL DOWN Competitive drill teams from Air Education and Training Command technical schools traveled to Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, for the 37th Training Wing Invitational Drill Down, March 5, 2022. The competition showcased the precision and teamwork of the most lethal and ready Air Force in the world. The 81st TRW from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., took first place in the competition. U.S. Air Force photo by Christa D’Andrea. Air Education and Training Command (AETC) predates the establishment of the Air Force.
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The War Department activated AETC as the Air Corps Flying Training Command on 23 Jan 1942, redesignated it as the Army Air Forces (AAF) Flying Training Command in March 1942, added technical training to its mission in 1943 and redesignated the command as Army Air Forces Training Command on 31 Jul 1943.
By the end of World War II, AAF Training Command had produced about 200,000 pilots, 48,000 navigators and air crew, 1.9 million technical training graduates, and a staggering 2.8 million basic military training graduates. On 1 Jul 1946, AAF Training Command became Air Training Command (ATC).
Air University merged with ATC on 1 Jul 1993, and the command took its present designation of Air Education and Training Command. "The First Command," AETC is responsible for recruiting, technical training, flying training, and the continuing education of each generation of Airmen. Inspired Airmen are ready to perform the mission anywhere, anytime thanks to the dedicated professionals of AETC. The mission of the AETC History and Research Office is to inspire and inform Airmen to win any fight using our shared Air Force heritage and history. Their vision is to fortify resiliency in all airmen by providing history and heritage expertise and products. Air Education and Training Command, with headquarters at Joint Base San AntonioRandolph, 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
Recruit, train and educate Exceptional Airmen. We take America’s sons and daughters – young men and women who have volunteered to serve their country in a time of war – and develop them into Airmen. Develop denotes more than educating or training them – it implies bringing them to embrace our culture, teaching them (by our example) our core values of integrity, service before self and excellence in all we do.
VISION
The First Command: Developing Airmen of character—the foundation of a lethal force.
PRIORITIES
• Advance Force Development • Enhance Lethality and Readiness • Transform the Way We Learn • Cultivate an Environment of Excellence
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
AETC includes Air Force Recruiting Service, two numbered air forces and the Air University. The command operates 12 major installations and supports tenant units on numerous bases across the globe. There are also 16 active-duty and seven Reserve wings.
HELP HEAL VETERANS
Celebrates 50th anniversary
Help Heal Veterans (Heal Vets), a nonprofit that provides free therapeutic arts and crafts kits to veterans and active-duty military, is proudly celebrating its 50th anniversary. Much has changed since 1971 but Help Heal Veterans has remained at the forefront of using craft therapy to help veterans and active-duty military heal the invisible wounds of war.
“Over the past 50 years, the Heal Vets team and our partners have made a huge impact in the healing process of our veterans.” says Joe McClain, retired Navy captain and Help Heal Veterans CEO. “Our partners, employees and volunteers have turned our vision into reality, in more ways than we could have imagined. Even though our mission has evolved, ‘helping any veteran or military member in need,’ very much remains at the core of what we do, and we are grateful to everyone who has joined us along our journey.”
In 1971, Help Heal Veterans produced one of the first craft-related therapy programs for patients from various medical centers and military hospitals. From that experience, a big idea was made possible by thousands of caring contributors wanting to express their love and appreciation to America’s heroes. Now, the organization produces and ships nearly half a million kits every year from its Winchester, California workshop.
Over the past 50 years, Help Heal Veterans has shipped millions of arts & crafts kits to hundreds of facilities. Indeed, since 2017, Heal Vets has worked with partner organizations to repurpose the extraordinary amounts of potential landfill waste, including:
• 300,000 pounds of leather from airplane seats. Southwest Airlines and Arise Foundation have donated leather from airplane seats since 2018. These materials are used to make wallets, footballs, and components for moccasins, such as liners and insoles. • 55,216 pounds of tanned deer skins. The Elks, a partner since 2002, donates tanned deer skins from Elks Lodge members around the country that are used to make moccasins, wheelchair gloves, dreamcatchers, pouches and more. • 454,500 pounds of upholstery. Since 2017, La Z Boy has donated upholstery fabric that Heal Vets uses in kits to make messenger bags, oven mitts, bowl cozies and more. • 112,416 pounds of cabinets. Since 2019, American Woodmark has donated cabinets, which have been repurposed for wood kits to make items like boxes and birdhouses. • 40,000 pounds of automobile seats. Since 2019, Magna has donated auto seats used to make purse kits.
Help Heal Veterans is committed to healing and supporting veterans’ mind, body, and spirit. Studies show that crafting can provide therapeutic and rehabilitative benefits, including improving fine motor skills, cognitive functioning, memory and dexterity. It can also help alleviate feelings of anger and the severity of negative behaviors triggered by PTSD and TBIs, which is important considering the United States has suffered more than 100,000 military casualties of war since 1950 and lost more than 65,000 veterans to suicide in the last 10 years. Looking ahead, the organization plans to continue carrying out the values on which it was founded, while identifying innovative ways to support veterans throughout their healing process.
To learn more about Heal Vets and explore an interactive map that includes 50 veteran stories over 50 years of impact across 50 U.S. states, visit HealVets.org/50.
About Help Heal Veterans
First established in 1971, Help Heal Veterans has provided free therapeutic arts and crafts kits to hospitalized and homebound veterans for generations. These craft kits help injured and recuperating veterans improve fine motor skills, cognitive functioning, manage stress and substance abuse, cope with symptoms of PTSD and TBI, while also improving their sense of self-esteem and overall physical and mental health. Most of these kits are developed, manufactured and packaged for delivery at our production center headquartered in Winchester, California. Since inception, Help Heal Veterans has delivered nearly 31 million of these arts and crafts kits to veterans and veteran facilities nationwide, along with active duty military overseas.
