Basic Military Training Adds Character-Focused Capstone Week

Starting on Tuesday, Air Force trainees entering basic military training at JBSA-Lackland, Texas, will take part in a new, character-focused Capstone Week as part of their eight-and-a-half-weeks of BMT instruction, announced Air Education and Training Command. The five days of capstone instruction will take place at the end of the BMT course; the first group of trainees will start this instruction on March 23, states AETC’s Jan. 23. release. “We’ll retain all current BMT requirements in the first seven-and-a-half weeks and use the Capstone Week to reinforce and expand on previous training,” said Kevin Adelsen, AETC’s Capstone Week program manager. During Capstone Week, the trainees will participate in interactive forums to discuss wingmanship, resiliency, leadership and followership, sexual assault prevention and response, the warrior ethos, and work-life balance, he said. “Our basic military training today does a tremendous job developing young men and women into airmen,” said CMSAF James Cody. “But as we looked at the current structure, we saw an opportunity to further enhance those airmanship skills with a final week focused entirely on character development,” he added.