USAF Weapons School

USAF Weapons School
USAF Weapons School patch (no official emblem ever authorized)
Active	30 December 1965 – present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Training School
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Nellis Air Force Base

The USAF Weapons School is a unit of the United States Air Force, assigned to the 57th Wing. It is stationed at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

Mission

The mission of the USAF Weapons School, is to teach graduate-level instructor courses, which provide the world's most advanced training in weapons and tactics employment to officers of the combat air forces. The USAF Weapons School, headquartered at Nellis Air Force Base, in Nevada with detachments at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Hurlburt Field, Florida, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico and Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.

The Weapons School accomplishes its mission by providing graduate-level instructor academic and flying courses to USAF Combat Air Forces (CAF). The School conducts extensive technical off-station training and liaison with CAF units. The School publishes the quarterly USAF Weapons Review with worldwide readership. All positions are selectively manned.

The Weapons School's squadrons include the Weapons Instructor Courses for the following aircraft and systems: A-10 Thunderbolt II, Lockheed AC-130, B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress, C-17 Globemaster III, C-130 Hercules, F-15 Eagle, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, HH-60 Pave Hawk, KC-135 Stratotanker, MC-130, MH-53 Pave Low, Command and Control Operations, Intelligence, Space, ICBM, and Support

History

With the stand-up of Air Combat Command in 1992, the school embarked on a dramatic shift from its 43-year focus exclusively on fighter aviation, dropping the "fighter" from its title and becoming the "Air Force Weapons School." The change was much more than symbolic with the activation of the B-52 and B-1 Divisions that year. Rescue helicopters joined the school with the HH-60 Division in 1995 while the F-111 retired. That year also saw the addition of RC-135 RIVET JOINT and EC-130 COMPASS CALL courses to the CCO Division. To increase the graduate-level understanding of space and air integration for operators, the school added the Space Division in 1996.

With a growing need for weapons officers skilled at integrating all aspects of air and space power, the Weapons School has continued to expand. 2000 saw the addition of the E-8 JSTARS to the CCO Division. Special Operations Forces (SOF) also became part of the Weapons School in 2000,developing courses for the MH-53 and AC-130. Stealth joined the school in 2002 with the addition of the F-117 and B-2 Divisions. SOF added an MC-130 course that year as well. In 2003, all of the Weapons School divisions were re-designated (or initially activated) as squadrons, and the Intelligence Sensor Weapons Instructor Course was added to provide graduate-level training in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance integration. In 2006, the F-117 Weapons Instructor Course deactivated and the merger with the Mobility Weapons School added the C-130, KC-135, and C-17 Weapons Instructor Courses. In 2008, the F-22 joined the Weapons School and in 2009, the ICBM Weapons Instructor Course was added. Students of the ICBM and Space courses share a common Air Force Specialty code (AFSC) as well as a building on Nellis.

Today's Weapons School encompasses 17 squadrons, teaching 22 combat specialties at 8 locations. Only 30% of today's students come from the classic fighter specialties which built the initial reputation of the "patch." The 50+ year tradition of excellence associated with the Air Force Weapons School continues as today's graduates go to units worldwide to focus on the integration challenges of tomorrow.

Lineage

• Constituted as USAF Fighter Weapons School, and activated, on 30 Dec 1965

Organized on 1 Jan 1966

Discontinued, and inactivated, on 1 Sep 1966

• Activated on 30 Dec 1981

Re-designated USAF Weapons School on 15 Jun 1993.

Assignments

• Tactical Air Command, 30 Dec 1965
• 4520 Combat Crew Training Wing, 1 Jan-1 Sep 1966
• 57th Fighter Weapons (later, 57th Fighter; 57th) Wing, 30 Dec 1981-Present

Components

Squadron	Location	Weapons System	Notes
8th Weapons Squadron	Nellis AFB	E-8C JSTARS/E-3/RC-135 RIVET JOINT/COMPASS CALL
14th Weapons Squadron	Hurlburt Field, Florida	Special Operations Forces
16th Weapons Squadron	Nellis AFB	F-16
17th Weapons Squadron	Nellis AFB	F-15E
19th Weapons Squadron	Nellis AFB	Intelligence
26th Weapons Squadron	Nellis AFB	MQ-1, MQ-9
29th Weapons Squadron	Little Rock AFB, Arkansas	C-130
34th Weapons Squadron	Nellis AFB	HH-60
57th Weapons Support Squadron	Nellis AFB	Mission Support
57th Weapons Squadron	McGuire AFB, New Jersey	C-17
66th Weapons Squadron	Nellis AFB	A-10
77th Weapons Squadron	Dyess AFB, Texas	B-1
325th Weapons Squadron	Whiteman AFB, Missouri	B-2
328th Weapons Squadron	Nellis AFB	Space, ICBM
340th Weapons Squadron	Barksdale AFB, Louisiana	B-52
417th Weapons Squadron	Holloman AFB, New Mexico	F-117A	Inactivated 2008
433d Weapons Squadron	Nellis AFB	F-15C, F-22
509th Weapons Squadron	Fairchild AFB, Washington	KC-135
715th Weapons Squadron	Whiteman AFB, Missouri	B-2	Inactivated 2005

Stations

• Nellis AFB, NV, 1 Jan-1 Sep 1966;, 30 Dec 1981-Present

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Nellis 57th Wing Fact Sheet
• AFHRA USAF Weapons School