The Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright Patterson Air Force Base

The Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright Patterson Air Force Base

Last week, I wrote the first in a series of occasional columns designed to provide additional information and clarity to the news stories about Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), the acronyms used when the media reports on it, organizations that are part of it, and other vague military terms used but often not fully explained.

Wright-Patt is the largest single-site employer in the state and thus is a powerful economic force in the region. I sought a seat on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) because WPAFB is such a driving force in our community.

The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) is my focus this week. AFIT is the Air Force's graduate school of engineering and management as well as its institution for technical, professional, and continuing education. Part of Air University, AFIT is committed to providing defense-focused graduate and professional continuing education and research to sustain the technological supremacy of America's air and space forces.

The work being done at Wright-Patt today, will give our Armed Forces a strategic advantage on the battlefields of tomorrow. Many of the people trained to do that work are educated at AFIT.

AFIT is comprised of three resident schools: The Graduate School of Engineering and Management, The School of Systems and Logistics, and The Civil Engineer and Services School. The Graduate School of Engineering and Management offer degrees in such fields as aeronautical engineering, astronautical engineering, and nuclear engineering and computer systems. The School of Systems and Logistics is the Air Force's sole provider of continuing education courses in acquisition, logistics and software engineering. The Civil Engineer and Services School provides continuing education in engineering, environmental and management subjects for military officers and civil engineers.

In addition, through its Civilian Institution Programs, AFIT manages the graduate programs of more than 2,300 Air Force members enrolled in civilian universities, research centers, hospitals, and industrial organizations to meet the specific educational requirements of the Air Force. Additionally this program arranges professional continuing education courses for approximately 3,600 Air Force personnel annually.

AFIT is uniquely positioned at Wright-Patt. It maintains partnerships with other base tenants to constantly assess its educational programs and then revise, create and implement new educational programs and research projects in a short time frame. In December 2006, ground was broken on a new 50,000 square foot building to house the expanding curriculum from the Center for Systems Engineering. The new education building will provide additional laboratory space for the current research underway at AFIT.

AFIT's impact is felt throughout the Air Force and Department of Defense. General Henry "Hap" Arnold, Commander of the Army Air Forces in World War II and a founder of the modern U.S. Air Force once said: "For 20 years the Air Force was built around pilots and more pilots. The next Air Force will be built around scientists." I think General Arnold would be very proud of AFIT's graduates. Some of the most famous AFIT alumni include Air Force pioneers such as: General George Kenney; General Jimmy Doolittle, who attended AFIT programs before degrees were conferred; General Lawrence Skantze; Major General William Anders and fellow astronaut Colonel Guion Bluford; and General Lester Lyles, former Commander, Air Force Material Command, who I had the opportunity to testify with before the BRAC Commission.

The fact that AFIT will continued to be located at WPAFB is a tribute to our community's ability to work together and demonstrate everything the area has to offer. We had to fight to keep AFIT at WPAFB during the recent BRAC process. The BRAC Commission brought it up for possible consolidation with the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, CA. During the BRAC process I testified at a hearing in Buffalo, NY, and specifically about AFIT at a hearing in Washington, D.C.

As the scientific and technical capabilities of the Air Force continue to evolve, AFIT works to provide strong officers and other leaders who are prepared intellectually to harness innovations and apply them so the Air Force is prepared to conduct and sustain successful operations. As the U.S. prepares for the challenges of the 21st century, AFIT leads the way in educating the Air Force and Department of Defense's leaders from right here in our community.

NASIC contacted my office and requested that we clarify NASIC's origin. "In February 2001, the Air Force reassigned the Air Intelligence Agency and NAIC (now known as NASIC), placing them under the Air Combat Command."

http://www.house.gov/miketurner/news/columns/1.26.07.shtml