6.3 Community College of the Air Force (AFH-1 Section 7G)

6.3 Community College of the Air Force (AFH-1 Section 7G)

Quick Answer: Section 7G is ADTC B for Staff Sergeant and Technical Sergeant on the 15 February 2025 chart (Master Sergeant is also B here). CCAF awards the associate of applied science degree. Table 7.1 totals 60 semester hours: 24 technical, 6 leadership/management/military studies, 15 program electives, and 15 general education. AU-ABC and GEM are the bachelor's-bridge and general-education programs. AFCOOL funds a $4,500 career maximum.

Neighboring 7E, 7F, and 7H rise to C at Master Sergeant. Section 7G stays B, B, B for SSgt, TSgt, and MSgt. For the PFE, study at B: explain the degree math, who may use AU-ABC, and what AFCOOL pays.

What CCAF is

Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) was activated in 1972 to gain academic recognition for USAF formal technical training. President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-361 on 14 July 1976, authorizing the Air Training Command commander (now AETC) to confer the associate of applied science degree. Authority moved to the Air University commander on 28 October 2004 under Public Law 108-375. The administrative center is Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama. AFH 1 calls CCAF the only community college system in the Department of Defense and the two-year institution exclusively serving enlisted personnel—the largest multi-campus community college system in the world.

Scale figures to recognize: more than 6,500 faculty, more than 2,000 credit-awarding courses, more than 100 affiliated campuses, more than 270,000 students, more than 1.6 million semester hours earned each year, more than one million transcripts in 10 years, and more than 580,000 degrees since 1977.

Mission: provide enlisted professionals pathways to degrees and credentials through military education, training, and experience. Degrees go to total force enlisted Airmen in four career groups: operations, logistics, medical, and support.

Accreditation: CCAF is part of Air University, which is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, master's, and doctoral degrees. The CCAF associate degree is awarded under Air University's authority.

The 60-hour associate of applied science degree

The AAS standard is built for employment on the competencies the program teaches—job acquisition, retention, and advancement. It is not designed as a transfer degree, though portions often transfer. Credit comes from CCAF-affiliated technical training plus accredited civilian colleges or credit by examination, so Airmen can finish regardless of assignment location. Enlisted Airmen are automatically registered in the specialty-aligned CCAF degree near completion of basic military training.

Effective with the 2022–2024 CCAF General Catalog, graduates must complete 60 semester hours, hold at least the journeyman 5-skill level or equivalent, have at least 9 semester hours of CCAF institutional credit in degree-applicable Technical Education (non-Military Technology and Applied Sciences Management), and have at least 15 semester hours of CCAF institutional credit overall. That institutional-credit rule is "Residency"—credit from CCAF credit-awarding courses.

The five general-education lines are 3 hours each and make the 15-hour block. If a stem asks for the total, answer 60.

CCAF awards credit for degree-applicable courses at affiliated military schools and accepts in-transfer credit from other accredited colleges when it meets SACSCOC and Air University/CCAF policy. Approved national professional credentials may satisfy technical education and program electives. Courses at non-affiliated schools or taught by non-CCAF faculty are not awarded CCAF credit. AUSIS, also reachable from AFVEC, shows the CCAF degree audit (student progress report).

AU-ABC, GEM, and AFCOOL

Air University Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative (AU-ABC) links CCAF associate programs to accredited four-year schools offering online bachelor's degrees. Each AU-ABC program maps to one or more CCAF degrees. Participants must be currently serving in the Regular Air Force, Air Force Reserves, or Air National Guard. Once enrolled, they may continue after retirement or separation.

General Education Mobile (GEM) links CCAF students to accredited colleges offering online freshman- and sophomore-level courses that satisfy CCAF general education requirements—the five 3-hour boxes in Table 7.1.

Credentialing supports readiness, recruiting, retention, and career transition. CCAF's JSAMTCC Airframe & Powerplant program streamlines FAA A&P certification for qualifying military aviation maintenance technicians; military testing sites may administer FAA knowledge exams free of charge. CCAF also offers an Instructional Systems Development certificate for affiliated-school curriculum writers and a three-level Instructor Certificate Program for qualified instructors.

Air Force Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (AFCOOL) is described in Section 7G. It funds USAF DAF specialty-applicable credentials for enlisted Airmen on Title 10 or Title 32 (502)f Regular Air Force orders. The career maximum is $4,500, covering exams, preparation courses, books, study materials, administrative fees, and recertification fees. CCAF manages AFCOOL and aligns specialties to civilian credentials using journeyman (5-skill) training and skills. Section 7H later tells you to apply through AFVEC; the dollar cap lives here in 7G.