Empowered Airmen

We live in a world that is driven by rapidly changing technology and an environment that includes aggressive and capable global competitors. Airmen are key to cutting unnecessary bureaucracy, recognizing and understanding our competition, and thinking of creative ways we can reshape the design of our Air Force. The Air Force must accelerate, must change, and must prepare for the future!

This page is dedicated towards highlighting the accomplishments of our talented Airmen at all levels and to show the impact they can make when they are informed and empowered to problem solve and make smart recommendations and decisions.

Accelerate Change or Lose graphic — EMPOWERED AIRMEN ACCELERATE CHANGE ACROSS AIR FORCE

CLICK HERE FOR MORE EMPOWERED AIRMEN STORIES

Empowering Airmen

CMSAF shares time with Airmen during BMT graduation

Acting SecAF visits Hill AFB, focuses on supporting Airmen and Guardians

CSAF joins KC-46A operational survey sortie

48th CES enhance mission readiness through virtual reality

Airmen prepare a F-16 Fighting Falcon for takeoff

Video by Timothy Boulay, Corinne Milligan, Charles Regner

United States Naval Test Pilot School 80th Anniversary

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division

April 2, 2025 | 5:50

Since its founding in 1945, the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) has played a vital role in advancing military aviation through elite flight test and evaluation training. Originally created to formalize flight test instruction in response to high pilot fatality rates during World War II, USNTPS evolved from a twelve-week night course into a rigorous year-long program that blends classroom theory with real-world application. With more than 4,800 graduates from 17 nations, USNTPS prepares Navy, Marine Corps, Army, international, and industry test professionals to evaluate and field the world’s most advanced aerospace technologies across 48 aircraft models. Today, USNTPS remains a cornerstone of innovation and collaboration in aerospace development. The school’s curriculum emphasizes problem-solving under pressure, inter-service cooperation, and a global perspective through partnerships with international test pilot schools and allied militaries. Its graduates have contributed to nearly every major Navy and Marine Corps aerospace program since WWII, including nearly 100 who became astronauts. As USNTPS celebrates 80 years of excellence, its mission endures: to train the minds that will shape the future of aviation and ensure the U.S. military stays at the forefront of flight technology.