AF streamlines expeditionary readiness training

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published September 30, 2015

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Air Force officials announced the creation of a new streamlined Expeditionary Readiness Program governance construct that replaces the current tiered predeployment training model.

The updated program is designed to ensure expeditionary readiness training is relevant, effective, timely, synchronized, standardized and integrated in order to provide combatant commanders with a standard presentation of forces to support specified mission requirements, while maximizing efficiency.

“We recognize the importance of making sure our Airmen’s time is used as efficiently as possible,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “Personal and professional time invested in readiness should be done purposefully and with the goal of improving Airmen’s ability to perform their duties in fulfilling global expeditionary requirements.”

The ERT concept aligns training cycles with the air expeditionary force construct, transitioning some training to meet “just-in-time” requirements to support deployments and eliminating most training currently provided in other venues.

“We’ve heard, listened and responded to Airmen’s feedback regarding predeployment training,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. “It is my duty and highest priority to ensure our Airmen are prepared to enter any combat environment with the skills needed to be successful and we do that by providing them with the right training at the right time, without redundancy.”

ERT changes include adding pretests at the beginning of computer based training allowing proficient Airmen to bypass CBTs, aligning predeployment training with the AEF battle rhythm of 36-month cycles, and waiving predeployment training for similar ancillary or functional proficiency training Airmen have already accomplished.

Effective Oct. 1, the new policy modifications will be captured in a new Air Force Guidance Memorandum that will eventually become a new 10-series Air Force instruction and will supersede information currently in Air Force Instruction 36-2201, “Air Force Training Program.” The AFGM will be posted on Air Force e-Publishing and to myPers.