Air Force Needs to Revamp Training, General Says

The U.S. Air Force needs a training overhaul, said Brig. Gen. William Spangenthal, USAF, director of Plans, Programs, Requirements and Assessments, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, during the chapter's October luncheon. A learning ecosystem that people want must be in place across the entire Defense Department, he stressed. "The systems we have are antiquated. It's been very challenging for many commanders to find personnel training across their teams," the general said. Spending more time on competencies and giving credit to airmen who already have certain skill sets when they come into the military is just not happening now, he said. "If I'm an airman and I want to get a refresher on something I learned a few years ago, I don't have anything to go back to. We have nothing like that. We need to sequence training and catalog it, so it can be referenced later," Gen. Spangenthal added. Creating an ecosystem based on industry standards, which would allow the military to be cloud-based and mobile, are just a few working points in developing a better system. Capturing competencies in one central location with the ability to fill deficiencies and tailor training to each individual will be necessary in the future, the general said. "We all learn and process knowledge differently. It's time we delivered it to our greatest asset, our airmen, in the most efficient manner possible," he said. "We should provide content to make sure everyone is striving to be as successful as they can be."

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