5.1 Training Responsibilities & Upgrade Training
Key Takeaways
- The Air Force on-the-job training program consists of three components: job knowledge, job proficiency, and job experience.
- Skill-level gates: the 3-skill level requires an initial skills course, the 5-skill level requires mandatory CDCs and core tasks, the 7-skill level requires being at least a Staff Sergeant select, and the 9-skill level requires being at least a Senior Master Sergeant.
- Task certifiers must be at least a Staff Sergeant with a 5-skill level or civilian equivalent and must complete the Air Force training course.
- Newly assigned personnel are interviewed within 30 days (60 for the Air Reserve Component); work center training orientation occurs within 60 days (120 for ARC).
- Supervisors develop one work center master task list ensuring 100 percent task coverage and review it annually.
Basic Military Training
AFH 1 lists what BMT covers: basic combat skills, field training exercises, weapons training, military discipline, physical fitness, drill and ceremonies, dormitory inspections, history and heritage, core values, plus subjects on Air Force life such as financial management, family issues, and alcohol/substance abuse.
Numbers to hold: more than seven million young men and women have entered USAF basic military training. BMT begins with the receiving phase (zero week) and ends with graduation. Military training instructors are responsible for most of the training and accompany trainees throughout. Following graduation, Airmen proceed to technical training or their first duty assignment; technical training typically lasts from one month to two years depending on AFSC.
On-the-Job Training
OJT "provides personnel the opportunity to attain knowledge and skill qualifications required to perform duties in their specialty." AFH 1 states that an effective OJT program requires commander and supervisory involvement at all levels, and that while the supervisor's primary responsibility is to plan OJT that outlines specific short-term, mission-related goals, overall success depends on the supervisor's ability to advise and actively assist Airmen in reaching their long-range career objectives.
The three components of OJT:
| Component | Definition |
|---|---|
| Job knowledge | Satisfied through a planned program of study involving Career Development Courses (CDC) or technical references listed in the CFETP or identified by the supervisor |
| Job proficiency | Hands-on training provided on the job, allowing the trainee to gain proficiency in work center tasks |
| Job experience | Gained during and after upgrade training to build confidence and competence |
The pairing to memorize is knowledge = CDCs/study; proficiency = hands-on; experience = during and after upgrade.
Upgrade Training and Skill Levels
Upgrade training leads to award of higher skill levels and is designed to increase skills and abilities. Requirements are outlined in AFMAN 36-2100, Military Utilization and Classification, DAFMAN 36-2689, Training Program, and the applicable CFETP.
| Skill level | Title | Requirements per AFH 1 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Apprentice | Complete an initial skills course. Retraining into an AFSC may be done via OJT alone only when specified in retraining instructions and approved by the career field manager (or career field functional manager for the ARC); OJT retrainees may be awarded the 3-level upon completing knowledge training on all tasks taught in the initial skills course plus other mandatory requirements |
| 5 | Journeyman | Complete mandatory CDCs (if available) and applicable mandatory core tasks in the CFETP, plus all mandatory requirements in the Air Force Enlisted Classification Directory (AFECD). Must be recommended by the supervisor and approved by the commander. Retraining status is Training Status Code F |
| 7 | Craftsman | Must be at least a Staff Sergeant Select; complete mandatory CDCs (if available) and core tasks; complete a 7-skill level craftsman course if the career field requires one; meet AFECD requirements; supervisor recommendation and commander approval. Retraining status is Training Status Code G |
| 9 | Superintendent | Must be at least a Senior Master Sergeant; meet AFECD mandatory requirements; supervisor recommendation and commander approval |
Two grade gates carry the most weight: 7-skill level requires at least SSgt select and 9-skill level requires at least SMSgt. Note that the 7-level gate says "Select" — an Airman does not have to have pinned on.
Unit Training Management
AFH 1 states that the trainee is the focal point of the training program, while unit training managers and supervisors work together to plan, conduct, and evaluate the trainee's efforts.
The Timeline Table
These numbers are among the most reliably tested in Chapter 7. RegAF figures come first, Air Reserve Component figures in parentheses.
| Event | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Interview newly assigned personnel to determine training status and issue CDCs | Within 30 days (60 days ARC) |
| Work center training orientation | Within 60 days of assignment (120 days ARC) |
| Comprehensive trainee orientation for trainees initially entering upgrade training | Within 60 days of assignment (90 days ARC) |
| Training progress review with unit training manager, supervisor, and trainee | At the 24th month of upgrade training (36th month for ANG), then at least every 90 days until upgraded or withdrawn |
| Unit training manager staff assistance visit of the unit's training program | Every two years (three years ARC), or sooner if the commander requests |
| Supervisor review of the work center master task list | Annually |
Before being submitted for upgrade, the trainee must meet all mandatory requirements defined in the CFETP, AFECD, and the Air Force Job Qualification Standard (AFJQS).
The Four Training Roles
| Role | AFH 1 responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Unit training managers | The commander's key staff members responsible for overall management of the training program; serve as training consultants to all unit members; determine if quality programs are in effect in all sections; conduct staff assistance visits |
| Supervisors | Have the single greatest impact on mission accomplishment with regard to training; develop one work center master task list (MTL) ensuring 100 percent task coverage and review it annually; integrate training with day-to-day operations considering trainer and equipment availability |
| Trainers | Often the trainee's supervisor; selected on experience and ability to instruct; must maintain task qualification and complete the USAF training course; plan, conduct, and document training; prepare teaching outlines or task breakdowns; develop evaluation tools; brief trainee and supervisor on results |
| Task certifiers | Provide third-party certification and evaluation; must be at least a Staff Sergeant with a 5-skill level or civilian equivalent, complete the USAF training course, and be capable of evaluating the task being certified; brief the trainee, supervisor, and trainer on results |
The task certifier requirements are a favorite item — note that all three conditions must hold, and that the certifier briefs three people while the trainer briefs two.
Training Forms and Documentation
AFH 1 explains why documentation matters: it validates the status of training and task qualification, helps managers assess mission capability and readiness, and defines requirements for individual career progression.
| Form / document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| DAF Form 623, Individual Training Record | Generated for all trainees entering upgrade training for the first time; reflects past and current qualifications. Supervisors maintain it. Returned to the member upon separation, retirement, commissioning, promotion to Master Sergeant, or as directed by the career field manager (unless classified) |
| DAF Form 623A, On-the-Job Training Record Continuation Sheet | Documents training progress; reflects status, counseling, and breaks in training |
| DAF Form 803, Report of Task Evaluations | Used by evaluators to conduct and document task evaluations during staff assistance visits, when directed by the commander, or when certification requires validation |
| DAF Form 797, Job Qualification Standard Continuation/Command JQS | Continuation of CFETP Part II or the AFJQS; defines locally assigned duty position, home station training, and deployment/UTC requirements not in the CFETP Part II |
| DAF Form 1098, Special Task Certification and Recurring Training | Documents selected tasks requiring recurring training or evaluation |
The CFETP is "a comprehensive core document identifying life-cycle education and training requirements, training support resources, core and home station training, and deployment/unit type code task requirements." Part I provides information for overall management of the specialty and is kept as part of the work center master training plan; Part II contains the specialty training standard identifying duties, tasks, technical references, core and home station training tasks, deployment/UTC tasks, and CDC requirements. At least one copy of the entire CFETP should be kept in the work center for general access.
AFCFMs must ensure their CFETP embodies Airmanship and incorporates five competencies aligned to the foundational competencies: communication, accountability, teamwork, analytical thinking, and resource management.
The AFJQS is "a training document approved by the career field manager for a particular job type or duty position within a USAF specialty."
Retraining and LEAP
The retraining program is "designed to balance the number of personnel in specific grades and year groups of a USAF specialty." With minor exceptions, training requirements are identical for retrainees and standard upgrade trainees.
The Language Enabled Airman Program (LEAP) is designed and managed by the USAF Culture and Language Center at Air University, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. It serves officers and enlisted Airmen in the general purpose force with outstanding records and some level of foreign language skill as measured by the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) or Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI). LEAP is highly competitive and board-selected, and members develop through an online synchronous platform called "eMentor" and periodic overseas language immersions.
What are the three components of the Air Force on-the-job training program?
What are the minimum requirements for an Airman to serve as a task certifier?
A RegAF Airman arrives at a new unit on 1 March and is entering upgrade training for the first time. By what dates must the initial training-status interview and the work center training orientation occur?