About Air War College Published Aug. 7, 2024 Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL The Air War College (AWC) was established by the U.S. War Department in 1946 at Maxwell Field, Alabama—now Maxwell Air Force Base. Since then, AWC has operated continuously, with the exception of a six-month hiatus during the Korean conflict. The AWC resident program begins each July and concludes with graduation in May. The student body includes officers from all branches of the U.S. military, civilian employees of federal government agencies, and officers from international allies and partner nations. The AWC faculty is equally diverse, comprising senior military officers from various joint services and civilian professors who hold either a Ph.D. or a master’s degree and possess over a decade of experience as subject matter experts in fields such as national security strategy and military strategy. The AWC's program is accredited for Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) Phase II, as outlined in the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction 1800.01, Officer Professional Military Education Policy. International officers who qualify for entry into the AWC program are enrolled in the senior-level PME program and may choose to apply for admission to the Master of Strategic Studies degree program. As the senior Air Force PME institution, AWC annually educates approximately 245 resident students from all U.S. military services, federal agencies, and international officers from 50 nations. AWC Program Learning Outcomes: Think strategically to analyze the security implications of past, present, and future operating environments and effectively communicate complex ideas. Analyze strategic leadership and the values of the profession of arms, including sound moral judgment and character. Assess and develop strategies and joint warfighting plans across the spectrum of conflict in pursuit of national security objectives, highlighting the role of airpower. Evaluate the nature and character of war and conflict and the employment of military capabilities, in concert with other instruments of national power, in a joint, interagency, and coalition environment. Mission Develop Air-Minded Joint Warfighters Vision The premier war college: forging architects of victory through intellectual rigor and creativity