Tyndall marks significant achievement for Air Force rated career field Published Jan. 13, 2011 By Major Tracy Carver and Captain Nate Sukolsky 325th AIr Control Squadron TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Eleven Air Battle Manager students from the 325th Air Control Squadron graduated Jan. 12 as the first set of Airmen to graduate under the new syllabus, allowing them to earn their aeronautical wings. "Being the first class to go through the newly established syllabus was an exhilarating ride," said 2nd Lt. Richard LaGrua, recent graduate of the 325th ACS ABM course. "The new course material was challenging yet very effective. I believe it will make a drastic, positive impact on the ABM community." In April 2010, the 325th ACS implemented a new training program which incorporated Basic Military Aviation into the Undergraduate Air Battle Management Training syllabus. During their 170 days of formal training, students now have the opportunity to fly onboard the MU-2 aircraft to learn basic piloting and navigation skills as they pertain to air-to-air intercepts and Air Battle Management. Prior to this achievement, graduates of the Undergraduate Air Battle Management Training course would receive only a weapons controller badge--no wings, no aeronautical rating. The ground-breaking, wings-awarding syllabus authored by squadron instructors has been in the works for several years, and with its inception will be the first time wings have been awarded at Tyndall Air Force Base since the Gunnery School was located here during World War II. "The ultimate goal is to kill the enemy as quickly and efficiently as possible without fratricide," said Lt. Col. Robert Grazulis, 325th ACS commander. "Air Battle Managers play a critical role in this process whether aboard an E-8 JSTARS, E-3 AWACS or on the ground at a Control and Reporting Center or Air Defense Facility." There are three rated officer career fields: pilot, navigator and weapons system officer, and Air Battle Managers. In the past, Air Battle Managers would complete their initial skills training at Tyndall Air Force Base and receive their Aeronautical Orders and Air Battle Management wings at a follow-on flying assignment at either an AWACS E-3 Sentry or JSTARS E-8C unit. As a comparison, United States Air Force pilots and navigators receive both their Aeronautical Orders and rated wings after completion of training at their initial training base, either Undergraduate Pilot Training or Undergraduate Navigator Training. The process for change has been ten years in the making. The flying training includes two familiarization sorties, allowing students to become acquainted with aerodynamics, flight controls, instrumentation, and navigation. Sorties three and four consist of flying training providing students with a pilot's perspective of air-to-air engagements while their fellow classmates provide control from the ground. The students then perform an air-to-ground mission on their fifth sortie and receive dynamic tasks and targets from their classmates controlling on the ground. The final and sixth sortie is a culmination of all their flights, assessing the students' knowledge and overall aviation tactical skill level. Undergraduate Air Battle Management Class 11005, the first to receive this honor, graduated 11 members from diverse backgrounds including prior enlisted, Air National Guard officers and officers commissioned from the Reserve Officers Training Corps and Officer Training School. Air Battle Manager training is the oldest function at Tyndall, having been around since the advent of Radio Detection and Ranging systems (RADAR) during World War II and will continue to produce the next generation of United States Air Force aviators and tacticians. For photos from the event click here.