Air Battle Manager - History

History

Air Battle Manager (ABM) has been a rated career field (Air Force Specialty Code 13BX) since October 1, 1999. This means that ABMs are career aviators who receive flight pay and must actively fly a certain number of months (called gate months) to maintain their rating. As a result, all active duty ABMs and those assigned to the Air Force Reserve unit at Tinker AFB, OK are assigned to flying duties after completion of undergraduate training. In the past a small number of graduates were initially assigned to ground assignments in the Control and Reporting Centers (CRCs). This practice was temporarily ceased in 2004 but now occurs based on student merit and assignment availability. ABMs serving in the Air National Guard are typically assigned to a CRC unit, an Air Defense Sector, or an Air Operations Centers (AOC). ABMs do receive flight pay and earn rated aviator wings though, at one time, were not awarded them at the completion of UABMT. Under the old system, only ABMs who had completed follow-on training for the E-3 or E-8 were awarded wings to wear on their uniforms. As of May 2010, a new training syllabus at Tyndall AFB allows ABMs to receive their wings at the conclusion of UABMT, finally bringing them in line with pilots and navigators. As of December 31, 2010, the Air Force Personnel Center reported that there are currently 1,434 ABMs serving on active duty.