New Horizons: F-16 IFTU shifts from Luke to Holloman Published Dec. 10, 2024 By Amn Belinda Guachun-Chichay 56th FIghter Wing LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. – The F-16 Fighting Falcon Intelligence Formal Training Unit, established at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, over two decades ago, is moving to Holloman AFB, New Mexico. The move is scheduled for completion in early 2025. This shift in operations, with F-16 intelligence training centralizing at Holloman AFB, will change the structure of the course that will be taught and future military education. The relocation of the course expands the F-16 training mission of the 49th Wing at Holloman AFB, which began in 2014. The F-16 IFTU began at the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke AFB in 1997, originally designed to train intelligence personnel assigned to fighter squadrons in support of F-16 operations. Over the years, the course has expanded from a focus on intelligence officers to a broader initial qualification training program for all intelligence personnel supporting F-16 units, including pilots, maintenance crews, and operations staff. Ed Rutkowski, 56th Operations Support Squadron F-16 IFTU course director, was first stationed at Luke AFB as an enlisted member in 1998, then stationed overseas, and eventually returned to Luke AFB as a civilian employee working in his current job since 2010. “The F-16 IFTU is the first of its kind in the Air Force, established in 1997,” Rutkowski stated. “Initially, it was designed to train intelligence personnel assigned to F-16 units, preparing them for their roles within fighter squadrons. Over time, we became known as the Initial Qualification Training for any intel person entering any F-16 unit, not just those directly working with F-16s.” The structure for the IQT course is 29 days divided into seven instructional blocks covering topics like radar fundamentals, air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions, threats from adversary aircraft, surface-to-air missile systems, and F-16 systems and capabilities. The graduation rate is 97.2%, with most students passing and only a small percentage unable to graduate due to deployments or medical issues. Since its start at the base, over 2,000 students have graduated, varying from airmen to lieutenant colonels, with feedback highlighting the effectiveness of the course. Navy F/A-18 Hornet intel specialists have also attended the course since the Navy does not have an equivalent class. The course has expanded its scope beyond fighter squadrons, addressing the evolving landscape of global threats and incorporating new technologies. “The key to the success of training at Luke AFB has been our high-quality instructors that are genuinely passionate about teaching,” Rutkowski said. “We’ve been fortunate to have many dedicated volunteers over the years. We’ve had a few that were non-volunteers, but they’ve all been passionate about the job, and always put the students first.” Strong backing from senior intelligence officers and commanders has also played an important hand in maintaining funding, staffing, and keeping the program as useful as possible. “It was a key strategic move to relocate the intelligence course to Holloman AFB, given the realignment of the F-16s to that base as well,” said Bill Hewitt, Air Education and Training Command intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance training chief. “Moving the students along with the pilots to Holloman AFB, will ensure the quality of training remains constant and students will be better equipped to support the pilots and increase efficiency.” With the ever-growing warfare environment, course changes have been necessary over the years. To see how their teachings at the schoolhouse have been effective in the operational world, instructors and directors like Rutkowski visit course graduates to ask how the instruction has been useful for their jobs. The graduates report to them on how the course has prepared them for deployments, and how the training has been useful. The relocation has been a broader shift to centralize F-16 training at Holloman AFB. With the move of the training program, some current instructors may travel from Luke AFB to Holloman AFB to assist with the transition while new instructors are trained and certified. “We at Holloman are incredibly honored to have been selected as the next team of intelligence professionals to take up the mantle of running and managing the F-16 Intelligence FTU,” said Maj. Robert Rabbia, 54th OSS senior intelligence officer. “The amount of effort and hard work that Mr. Rutkowski and his team have put into the program over the last 27 years and 2,000 graduates is astounding to say the least. We are extremely grateful to his team for the assistance in ensuring our instructor cadre are up to speed on all facets of the academics. Based on their hard work, and the hard work of the IFTU instructor cadre here at Holloman, I feel that we are ready for the challenge of ensuring that the legacy of the IFTU is upheld and that the knowledge level of all future graduates is on par with their expectations.” Instructors and long-time staff have reflected on their history with the course at Luke AFB, expressing mostly nostalgia. “One of the things that we historically joke about with instructors here is that ‘words mean things,’” Rutkowski chuckled. “As instructors, we’ve learned that when you’re speaking to a room full of students, what makes sense in your head doesn’t always land the same way. You have to listen to yourself as you speak and visually gauge the reactions from the students to ensure they’re understanding. You must be very succinct in your terminology – it really makes a difference in the end.” The F-16 mission as a whole is coming to an end at Luke AFB as the 56th FW evolves to host exclusively F-35A Lightning II training missions. The remaining U.S. Air Force F-16 aircraft will depart in 2025, and the Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16 aircraft will move to Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Fort Smith, Arkansas, in the coming years. As the course moves on, its legacy at Luke AFB will not be forgotten, having trained thousands of personnel essential to the success of the F-16 operations globally. Holloman AFB will be the new center for F-16 IQT, ensuring that future intelligence personnel are ready to support the next generation of fighter operations.