Training in the military means that you have a lot of practical experiences and training that could equal educational credit. The first service to show a realization that your practical military training and service would be worth direct military credit was the Air Force. In the 1970s the Air Force and its leaders took a long hard look at what kinds of work that their people were involved in and decided to apply and develop their own training educational program that dovetailed with the Air Force Mission. They created the Air Force Community College when they decided that the skills and training that were taught to Air Force Personnel were able to qualify for college level credit, and up to that time there were no Air Force Personnel that were getting credit for their activity. There also was not any active program in colleges or universities that acknowledged the activity and gave credit for the experiences.
Lieutenant General George Simler was the Air Force Training Command commander, and the folks in the Air Force sat down with General Simler and worked to formalize and identify the training and experiences that Air Force Personnel were involved in, and develop that into a college level credit program that was regionally accredited as a full fledged community college. Leaders from all around the Air Force came together along with General Simler, even leaders and staff from the U.S. Air Force Academy was brought together to help design and construct the curriculum. After a number of meetings the leaders made the decision that creating a college level community college program was something that the Air Force was uniquely able to do, and that the Air Force should push ahead and create a program of this nature. The Air Force Community College was formed in the year 1971, in November, and formally established in writing the following April in 1972.
There are now seven different specific programs that the Air Force Operates in their Air Force Community college. In addition there are five different types of Air Force Science and Aerospace programs, joined with the USAH Health Care and U.S. Security Air Force programs that are offered through the new community college program.There are a number of 2 year programs available that gives Servicemembers a excellent first leg up on all competition.
