6.2 Professional Military Education (AFH-1 Section 7F)
Key Takeaways
- Section 7F is ADTC level B for Staff Sergeant and Technical Sergeant on the 15 February 2025 ADTC.
- Operational control of stateside enlisted PME schools lies with Air Education and Training Command at the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, Maxwell Air Force Base-Gunter Annex, Alabama.
- Current enlisted PME course names in AFH 1 are Airman Leadership School, NCO Academy, Senior NCO Academy, and Chief Leadership Course, plus ARC distance-learning versions and ALS Blended Learning.
- With the exception of the Chief Leadership Course, Airmen receive CCAF collegiate credit for enlisted PME; CLC is the capstone and pinnacle course, with seven classes per year for 750 Total Force chiefs and chief selects.
- EPME distance-learning completion is no longer a prerequisite for resident attendance (effective 26 April 2018), and Air University no longer allows new DLC enrollments for active-component Airmen.
6.2 Professional Military Education (AFH-1 Section 7F)
Quick Answer: Section 7F is ADTC B for Staff Sergeant and Technical Sergeant. Enlisted PME is a continuum of Airman Leadership School, NCO Academy, Senior NCO Academy, and the Chief Leadership Course, with distance-learning versions for Air Reserve Component Airmen. Stateside schools sit under AETC at the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex. CLC is the capstone and the exception to CCAF credit for enlisted PME.
AFH 1 Section 7F is ADTC B for E-5 and E-6. Use the 15 February 2025 names: Airman Leadership School (ALS), NCO Academy (NCOA), SNCO Academy (SNCOA), and Chief Leadership Course (CLC), plus ALS-DL, ALS-BLC, NCO-DL, and SNCO-DL. Do not revive retired course titles.
Professional Military Education (PME) enhances each phase of professional development and builds on earlier leadership ability. It complements training, experience, and other educational programs through a continuum of learning concentrated on leadership, Airmanship, and military professionalism. Courses develop institutional competencies needed for critical thinking, sound decision-making, and a strategic mindset. AFH 1 points to DAFI 36-2670 for additional policy.
In 1955, enlisted PME schools stood up to give NCOs leadership and management training for day-to-day mission execution. That coinciding with the first official enlisted force structure is a testable pairing. Operational control of stateside enlisted PME schools lies with Air Education and Training Command at the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education, Maxwell Air Force Base-Gunter Annex, Alabama. Barnes Center, Academic Affairs owns program development, faculty development, and operational program management. Courses use performance evaluations and objective examinations, plus laboratories, guided discussion, case study, and writing.
Credit rule: except for the Chief Leadership Course, Airmen earn CCAF collegiate credit for enlisted PME. CCAF is accredited through Air University by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
PME by grade
AFH 1 does not print a promotion-gate matrix, but it assigns each course an audience. Use this table on PFE items.
| Audience AFH 1 describes | Resident / in-person | Distance or blended |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Airmen — first enlisted PME; professional warfighting Airmen who supervise teams supporting air and cyberspace power | Airman Leadership School, at almost every installation. Curriculum: mission, leadership, problem solving, USAF culture | ALS-DL: ANG and USAF Reserve Senior Airmen and Staff Sergeants only; not available for Regular Air Force. Four attributes: professional Airmen, expeditionary Airmen, supervisor of Airmen, supervisory communicator. Two course exams. ALS-BLC (October 2016): Phase I eight weeks online; Phase II two weeks at the Paul H. Lankford PME Center, McGhee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee |
| Basic NCO competency — warfighting Airmen and Guardians who lead units employing air and space power | NCO Academy. Intermediate leadership experience in complex, ambiguous environments (guided discussion, experiential exercises, case study, leadership laboratories) | NCO-DL: Air Reserve Component only. Modules: course foundation; leadership and management; operational Airman. Three course exams |
| SNCOs — lead at tactical and operational levels; joint and coalition senior enlisted leaders | SNCO Academy. Up to 2,250 USAF, Navy, Coast Guard, Marine, and international SNCOs annually. Advanced leadership experience for joint, combined, interagency, and strategic environments | SNCO-DL: ARC only. Attributes: self-awareness; leadership and management; joint warfighter. Three module exams |
| Newly selected Chief Master Sergeants | Chief Leadership Course — capstone and pinnacle. Seven classes per year; 750 Total Force chiefs and chief selects. Bridges operational-to-strategic perspectives | AFH 1 lists no CLC distance-learning course |
Do not mix the two ALS lists. Core attributes (ALS-DL/ALS-BLC) are professional / expeditionary / supervisor of Airmen / supervisory communicator. ALS curriculum is mission, leadership, problem solving, USAF culture.
EPME Distance Learning Course completion is no longer a prerequisite for resident attendance, effective 26 April 2018. Air University no longer allows new enrollments for active-component Airmen. Regular Air Force members may use EPME DLC for reference only in the Air University Student Information System (AUSIS).
Joint and international PME
CJCSI 1805.01B requires enlisted personnel in joint, interagency, multinational, and coalition organizations to learn joint concepts. Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education (EJPME) is web-based. EJPME I matches E-5/E-7 joint-assignment responsibilities. EJPME II prepares E-7/E-9 members for senior joint leadership. Both cover national strategic overview; joint interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational capabilities; foundations of joint operations; and Joint Force leadership. Students must complete rank-required service enlisted PME before enrolling in EJPME.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency leads DoD efforts to train, educate, advise, and equip foreign partners.
Inter-American Air Forces Academy (IAAFA) began 15 March 1943 at Peru's request (General Fernando Melgar), training 11 Peruvian students at Albrook Air Force Station, Panama Canal Zone. Today AETC hosts it at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. It graduates about 900 students a year, has graduated over 35,000 in 75 years, and is the only USAF PME center that can offer all three enlisted tiers: Airman Leadership School, NCO Academy, and Senior NCO Academy.
Inter-European Air Forces Academy (IEAFA) entered U.S. law in the FY2015 NDAA (19 December 2014) and became permanent authority in 2017. It trains NATO members and Partnership for Peace signatories. It activated 23 March 2016 under USAFE-AFAFRICA at the Warrior Preparation Center, Einsiedlerhof Air Station, Germany, has taught more than 500 students from 32 countries, and uniquely seats officers and NCOs in a combined classroom.
Which enlisted professional military education course does AFH 1 call the capstone and pinnacle, and what annual throughput does it publish?
Who may enroll in Airman Leadership School Distance Learning, and how is completion measured?
Before enrolling in Enlisted Joint Professional Military Education, what must students complete?