Illustration showing the components of the LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM. — AIR FORCE ART

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141018-F-XX999-005

In 1947, BMT increased from six weeks to eight weeks and the Army Air Force Basic Military School changed to the Air Force Basic Military School. On 26 Aug 1948, the 3700th Basic Training Wing was established -- and the organizations of the wing would remain a fixture on Lackland for the next 40 years.

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141018-F-XX999-006

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141018-F-XX999-007

In 1948, racial segregation ended and in 1949 Lackland began the integration of African American Airmen into the same units as Caucasians. The Indoctrination Division began assigning recruits to squadrons and flights by sex and time of arrival only, thus ending racial segregation in the Air Force basic training program. Despite predictions of dire trouble, this change proceeded with relatively few issues.

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141018-F-XX999-010

In addition to the racial integration, 1948 also marked another milestone with regard to military women. President Harry S. Truman signed the Women’s Armed Service Integration Act on June 12, 1948 and Esther McGowin Blake had the distinction of being designated the first woman enlistee on July 12. Blake enlisted in the Women in the Air Force the first minute of the first hour of the first day regular Air Force duty was authorized for women. Other women already serving on Air Force bases in the Women's Army Corps were allowed to administratively convert to Air Force at the same time --many having served the Army Air Forces faithfully during the war.

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141018-F-XX999-011

The Korean War buildup in the early 1950’s was the first major test to training at Lackland. With the war beginning in June 1950, the draft started and BMT experienced a surge of new trainees. At the time, Lackland could only accommodate a load of around 20,000 people with a permanent party of 5,000, however by mid-1951, 84,000 people were on the base – turning it into a tent city.

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141018-F-XX999-012

On July 24, 1950, BMT went from 91 training days to a 40-day program. By December, the course became a two-week orientation until other bases could help with the surge. Courses at BMT lasted long enough for new arrivals to receive immunizations, uniforms, medical screening, and some very basic indoctrination. The BMT course returned to eight weeks on Jan. 31, 1951.

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141018-F-XX999-013

Even with shortened time in BMT, the Air Force still needed more Airmen. To help alleviate the stress the 3740th Basic Military Training Group and its subordinate squadrons transferred to Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas for temporary duty in July 1950. The 3740th BMTG remained assigned to the 3700th Air Force Indoctrination Wing until it was discontinued in May 1952 when the Air Force finally surpassed the surge requirements.

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141018-F-XX999-014

Air Force Indoctrination Wings also opened in December 1950, at Sampson AFB, New York, and in July 1951, at Parks AFB, California. Headquarters Air Force also authorized enlisted training in overseas locations which included: Clark Air Base, Philippines; Sealand, Wales, in the United Kingdom; Albrook AFB, Panama Canal; and Andersen AFB, Guam.

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141018-F-XX999-015

BMT during the 1950s emphasized the combat lessons learned during the Korean War. Trainees went through a small bivouac, called “Little Korea,” and were exposed to live fire at the fire lane confidence course. Trainees lived and trained in the field initially for two days, which was later changed to five days. Bivouacs disappeared in the early-1960s.

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141018-F-XX999-016

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141018-F-XX999-017

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141018-F-XX999-018

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141018-F-XX999-019

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141018-F-XX999-020

In the early-1950s, BMT for Women in the Air Force was approximately 440 training hours compared to the 520 hours completed by the men. During the Korean War, males took the brunt of the cuts in training when the conflict began in June 1950 and ended in 1952. Training stabilized for both sexes in 1954 and BMT totaled approximately 384 hours.

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141018-F-XX999-021

Even though there were some similarities in the 1950’s BMT curriculum between the sexes, such as marching and drill movements, there were also some distinct differences. Men went through sex education classes, marksmanship training and different physical condition classes. Women’s training included instruction on personal development, which taught women about feminine hygiene, applying makeup, and about posture and social etiquette.

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141018-F-XX999-022

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141018-F-XX999-023

In 1955, the Air Force initiated a two-phase BMT program for men. A six-week phase was conducted at Lackland followed by a five-week phase that was to be completed during technical training. Those who had direct duty assignments received phase II training at Lackland or at their initial duty stations. Women in the Air Force training remained a single-phased, nine-week course.

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141018-F-XX999-024

It wasn’t till February 1960 that the two-phase program for males went from 11 to eight weeks. Phase I lasted for five weeks and was at Lackland. Phase II, a three-week program, was continued at Lackland or other Air Training Command bases.

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141018-F-XX999-025

Later in 1963, Headquarters Air Force wanted to replace the two-phase program. The result was a new seven-week single phase program that was tested in the last two months of the year. In 1964, a new six-week single-phased BMT program was implemented.

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141018-F-XX999-026

The Korean War provided the Air Force with plenty of invaluable experience and BMT operations went smoothly during the influx of manning in 1965 in preparation for operations in Vietnam. In August, the Air Training Command directed a split-phase, four-week program where Airmen would receive 22 training days at Lackland and eight days at their technical training school. In April 1966, the six-week program was deemed the superior training method and the two-phase program was terminated.

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