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VCSAF tours Goodfellow AFB

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Madi Collier
  • 17th Training Wing Public Affairs
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife visited Goodfellow Air Force Base, Aug. 14, to see first-hand how technical training has transformed and evolved and how the mission supports the Great Power Competition initiative.

Slife began his visit by meeting with leaders of the 17th Training Wing, including those from the 517th Training Group at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California. Throughout the day, he toured several key facilities, including the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy, the Joint All-Domain Expeditionary Forward Operations Readiness Exercise site and intelligence training squadrons. He also held an all call for Airmen across the wing.

During his visit to the Louis F. Garland DoD Fire Academy, Slife was briefed on the 9S100 Special Instruments training. He learned how these specialists trained at Goodfellow AFB before deploying to austere locations, where they are expected to perform their duties independently functioning as multiple Air Force Specialty Codes to accomplish the mission.

The tour transitioned to the JADE FORGE training site, where Slife got a close look at how the 313th Training Squadron capstones their training. JADE FORGE immerses joint service intelligence professionals in a simulated operational environment, enabling them to apply essential intelligence functions—analysis, collection, integration and targeting—in a realistic setting. He discussed with 17th Training Group leadership how technical training is evolving into a curriculum that shifts from a compliance-based system to one centered on mission-ready assessments.

U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife is briefed by Tech. Sgt. Robert Kerdowski, 312th Training Squadron Special Instrument Training instructor, at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy during his visit, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 14, 2023. He learned how these specialists train at Goodfellow before deploying to austere locations, where they are expected to perform their duties independently functioning as multiple AFSCs to accomplish the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Madi Collier)

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife is briefed by Tech. Sgt. Robert Kerdowski, 312th Training Squadron Special Instrument Training instructor, at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy during his visit, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 14, 2023. He learned how these specialists train at Goodfellow AFB before deploying to austere locations, where they are expected to perform their duties independently functioning as multiple AFSCs to accomplish the mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Madi Collier)
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U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife is greeted by 312th Training Squadron leadership and instructors at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy during his visit, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 14, 2023. While at the 312th TRS, Slife was briefed on the current state of training and what it takes to be a fire protection specialist. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Madi Collier)

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife is greeted by 312th Training Squadron leadership and instructors at the Louis F. Garland Department of Defense Fire Academy during his visit, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 14, 2023. While at the 312th TRS, Slife was briefed on the current state of training and what it takes to be a fire protection specialist. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Madi Collier)
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U.S. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife is shown programs created by the 17th Training Support Squadron’s Instructional Training Unit at Brandenburg Hall during his visit, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 14, 2023. These programs aim to keep Airmen informed and mission-ready as they transition to their operational units. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Madi Collier)

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife is shown programs created by the 17th Training Support Squadron’s Instructional Training Unit at Brandenburg Hall during his visit, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 14, 2023. These programs aim to keep Airmen informed and mission ready as they transition to their operational units. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Madi Collier)
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Following a tour around the intelligence training campus, Slife visited the 17th Training Support Squadron Instructional Training Unit. He was shown how the ITU has developed training programs for students across the wing. These programs include virtual reality simulations, online courses that resemble video games and informational videos on emerging foreign threats. These programs aim to keep Airmen informed and mission ready as they transition to their operational units.

To conclude the visit, Slife held an all call for Airmen at Goodfellow AFB, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing people development, projecting power, generating readiness and enhancing capabilities. He highlighted the need for comprehensive Airman development — from the squadron level to major command functional leaders—and encouraged Airmen to push beyond their perceived limits to meet the challenges they may face. Slife emphasized the importance of building operational teams around the mission rather than the function.

“Change is hard, but losing is unacceptable,” Slife stressed. “We all have to think of ourselves as Airmen first, not through the lens of a functional specialty.”

He wrapped up the all-call by addressing the importance of continuous adaptation within the Air Force. He explained how the Air Force’s mission evolves to address new challenges and how each MAJCOMS’s priorities reflect these changes. He urged Airmen to remain adaptable in all environments.

“It was great to have Gen. Slife visit us here at the 17th TRW,” said Col. Angelina Maguinness, 17th TRW commander. “Our Raider Team is responsible for the technical training of our next generation of warriors to support national security in an era of Great Power Competition. Hearing directly from Gen. Slife about our Air Force optimization efforts and evolving mission focus enables us to meet our senior leaders’ expectations for those Airmen.”