U.S. Air Force Weapons School Celebrates 75th Training Anniversary

Marking three quarters of a century of excellence, the US Air Force Weapons School welcomed distinguished visitors to commemorate its rich history on May 17 and 18.

The 75th anniversary weekend facilitated discussions about the school's continued commitment to preparing Airmen for the challenges of Great Power Competition between hundreds of alumni and former military officials, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General CQ Brown, Jr., and former Chief of Staff of the Air Force, retired General John Jumper.

“When I came in as president, I wrote a letter of expectation. One of the areas I emphasized was that honing our warfighting skills was the priority in everything we do , and that’s what the weapons school does,” Brown said. “It's not just about the skills we use within our Air Force, but also what we do with our allies and partners to ensure we have all the capabilities necessary to become our adversaries' worst nightmare .We want our adversaries to wake up every day and say, not today, because of the capabilities we have.”

USAFWS has been a cornerstone of excellence in military education since its inception as an artillery school in 1949. USAFWS has since evolved beyond its original mission of training the next generation of pilots, and it now specializes in providing high-end tactics training. experts and leaders in a myriad of career fields on controlling and exploiting air, space and cyberspace on behalf of the joint force. The U.S. Air Force Weapons School today includes 21 squadrons, teaching 31 weapons instructor courses, eight advanced enlisted courses, and 39 combat specialties at nine locations across the country, graduating approximately 150 students every six months.

“Our goal is to create combat leaders who will lead our future squadrons,” said Col. Charles Fallon, USAFWS commander. “One of our key areas of focus is developing students into integration experts so they can develop and execute a plan made up of many different assets and capabilities. »

Anniversary weekend attendees reflected on the school's enduring legacy and its profound impact on the joint force, as well as America's allies and partners. From its humble beginnings to its current status as a global leader in advanced military education, USAFWS remains true to its mission of developing exceptional leaders and enhancing the combat readiness of the joint force.

In conjunction with the USAFWS 75th anniversary celebrations, US Space Force Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzmangraduate of the Weapons School, met with approximately 130 space weapons officers, comprised of active-duty Guardians as well as Air Force Reserve And Air National Guard Aviators, to Nellis Air Force Base to discuss the need for a fundamental service framework, the importance of creating combat-ready forces for joint warfare, and forging a purpose-built Space Force.

“What a first-assignment weapons officer brings to the table is far superior to what the school developed 20 years ago,” Saltzman said. “Each system of Space Force must be able to produce effects against a determined and thoughtful adversary, and it is the weapons officers who must develop the tactical echelons… you are expected to lead the change and development of tactics at the unit level.

By the end of the festivities, the true meaning of 75 years of advanced training became clear. The legacy of the USAFWS will continue to inspire future generations of leaders, ensuring our forces are ready to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world.