Air Battle Manager - Training

Training

Undergraduate Air Battle Manager Training (UABMT) for the active US Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve is conducted by the 325th Air Control Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Training at Tyndall is academically challenging from the start to the end, and the wash out rate varies from class to class. There are, at most, 12 officers that make up a class but the average is about 10. About one to three will never achieve Combat Mission Ready status at their line squadron, either due to washing out of training at Tyndall or advanced training at their next base. By the time an individual finishes training, they acquire 15 credit hours towards a Master's degree and on average nine credit hours will be recognized by a university as an elective course, e.g. University of Oklahoma. From there, active duty officers are sent for additional training at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma (for the E-3), Robins AFB, Georgia (for the E-8) or directly to a CRC. A select few will be sent to Geilenkirchen AB, Germany to train on the NATO AWACS (E-3A.) Small numbers are also assigned to overseas assignments at either Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage, AK, or Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan to fly on the E-3 once the follow on training at Tinker is completed. In the past, ABMs received their wings from Air Combat Command or from NATO once their flight training was completed, making it the only line rated career field that received its wings outside of AETC. However, as of May 2010, a new training syllabus has begun. Aimed at overhauling the entire course, the new syllabus places significant emphasis on the aeronautical ratings that mission-ready ABMs currently enjoy. Subsequently, all ABM student (except Air National Guard Officers belonging to CRC units) under the new syllabus will receive their wings at the conclusion of UABMT at Tyndall. Students under the new syllabus will also receive flight pay while taking the course.