The Air Force is revising all of its enlisted professional military education courses this year to incorporate revisions to its list of institutional competencies, says Daniel Sitterly, director of force development on the Air Staff. Testifying before House lawmakers, he said EMPE curricula are incorporating either for the first time or in updated form: nuclear, space/cyberspace, cross-cultural competence, total force integration, irregular warfare, Air Expeditionary Force tempo bands, social and media, and resource management. These changes apply to all seven Enlisted PME outlets (e.g., Airmen Leadership School, Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy, etc.), he said during an oversight hearing last week. Nearly 15 percent of the total enlisted force—about 55,000 airmen—complete EPME programs annually, said Sitterly. That includes more than 29,000 who pass through an EPME resident course and more than 26,000 who participate via distance learning opportunities. (Sitterly prepared remarks)
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
