Air Force moves advanced intelligence training units to Air Combat Command

The Department of the Air Force is shifting advanced intelligence formal training units from Air Education and Training Command to Air Combat Command, a realignment intended to more tightly connect classroom instruction with operational combat missions. The move begins this summer and will continue in phases through early 2027, the service said.

The transition is being overseen by Gen. Adrian Spain, commander of ACC, and Lt. Gen. Clark Quinn, commander of AETC. According to the department, the reassignment was directed by Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and leverages ACC’s role as the Air Force lead for the Distributed Common Ground System and combat air intelligence systems. The plan is designed to enhance readiness, better match training with combat requirements, and optimize training resources by integrating courses with operational units.

Intelligence formal training units provide system- and mission-specific instruction that builds on foundational skills to prepare Airmen for operational missions. Under the plan, the DCGS and Targeting IFTUs and the Contingency Intelligence Network Intelligence Initial Qualification Course will align more directly with ACC units conducting those missions.

“By reassigning our intelligence formal training units to Air Combat Command, we are shrinking the gap between the classroom and the battlespace,” said Brig. Gen. Abraham Jackson, Director of Intelligence for Air Combat Command. “Our Airmen will learn the most current tactics and techniques directly from the operational force, ensuring they graduate highly capable and ready to impact the mission from day one. This reassignment allows us to rapidly inject the latest threat realities into our curriculum to meet the demands of a highly dynamic environment.”

AETC will continue to provide foundational training and manage the 17th Training Wing at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, even as advanced units shift to ACC. “AETC is the Air Force’s center of excellence for foundational training, and we are proud of the world-class intelligence professionals our instructors produce,” said Col. Andy Freeman, AETC Director of Intelligence. “This CSAF-directed realignment strengthens the training pipeline by formally linking AETC’s foundational expertise with ACC’s front-line operational focus. This partnership ensures our Airmen are more lethal and ready to confront pacing threats from day one.”

As part of the reassignment, the DCGS IFTU will move from Goodfellow AFB to the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance Wing at Langley AFB, Virginia, and the Targeting IFTU will relocate from Goodfellow to the 363rd ISRW at Langley. The DCGS and Targeting IFTUs are scheduled to transition this summer, while the CIN course reassignment is planned for early 2027.

An AETC–ACC transition task force will coordinate the conditions-based plan and support affected personnel and families to ensure a smooth handover.