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Annual training requirements shortened to 90 minutes

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. J.G. Buzanowski
  • Secretary of the Air Force
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  After examining how much time Airmen spend on annual ancillary training, Air Force leaders have decided that time should be allocated more efficiently. 

In effect as of Oct. 1, ancillary training requirements will be reduced to 90 minutes, as opposed to almost nine hours per Airman spread throughout the year. 

"An Airman's time is valuable, one of the most precious commodities we have," said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley. "I want a lot of our ancillary training to be combined so Airmen can spend more time concentrating on their jobs." 

The goal is to cut the time spent on ancillary training to the "minimum level necessary," General Moseley says in his latest "Chief's Scope." 

The initiative is part of Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, an Air Force-wide program where organizations reexamine their own procedures and processes to find ways to save time and money. Under the new 90-minute "block instruction" plan, Airmen will save almost an entire workday, or about 8.65 hours per person, according to Lt. Gen. Roger Brady, deputy chief of staff of Air Force manpower, personnel and services. 

General Brady's team examined 16 different training courses and redesigned how Airmen will receive that information. In an hour and a half, Airmen will receive blocks of training organized into categories that will simplify the training process without greatly diminishing the value of the training itself. 

"I will not let ancillary training overshadow our combat focus," General Moseley said.  "These concrete steps will tip the scales to give Airmen more time to focus on their primary mission." 

For even greater convenience, units will have several options for completing all three blocks. Commanders will have the choice of holding the entire 90 minutes at once in a mass briefing, or split up into three segments throughout the year. The blocks also will be available as both group and individual computer presentations. 

While the 90 minutes of instruction will meet annual requirements for Total Force Airmen, there will continue to be additional, specific training for select Airmen. For example, new Airmen will still need to attend initial security orientation at their first duty station and Airmen changing duty stations to go overseas will require counterintelligence training. 

Although courses like these will still be in addition to the annual required 90-minute training, there is a plan now that also will reduce the time it takes for these extra courses by up to 72 percent, General Brady said. 

"Our approach is aggressive and will force everyone to justify how the benefits of their proposed training outweigh the burden on our Airmen," General Brady said.