Professional military education (PME) for U.S. Air Force officers is part of a complex system for preparing officers of all services for command and staff work in a joint context. The system must accommodate thousands of officers every year — some in-residence at service schoolhouses, some through fellowship opportunities at varying locations, and still others through distance learning.
There is an apparent imbalance in the assignment of Air Force officers to specific PME programs: A greater proportion of officers who are ranked lower by the central developmental education board are assigned to PME at Air University than those higher on the rankings, who tend to be assigned to non–Air Force schoolhouses or fellowship programs.
The authors examine the process for selecting officers for assignment to in-residence schools and fellowships and review U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense policies on PME. Drawing on interviews with Air Force leaders who oversee and conduct PME and on recent graduates' opinions of these programs, the authors make recommendations designed to help the Air Force improve its system of PME to better serve the organization and its members.
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