Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi hosted more than 500 newly-selected chief master sergeants for the inaugural Chief Initial Mission Command Training May 19–23 at Fort Walton Beach and Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. 

CIMCT is not a traditional orientation, it’s a warfighting development experience built to prepare senior enlisted leaders to lead in today’s contested environment. The five-day training replaced the former Chief Orientation Course, prioritizing field immersion, mission command, and warrior ethos. 

“Our Air Force exists to kill people and blow shit up — it’s always been our purpose,” said Flosi. “We exist to defend the nation and provide the president with credible options across the scale of conflict. CIMCT brings us to our first principle.” 

The training began with mission briefs, leadership panels, and classified threat updates, immediately followed by a no-notice deployment exercise. Participants processed through a personnel deployment function line before moving to the Silver Flag compound at Tyndall AFB, simulating the speed and unpredictability of real-world taskings. 

At Tyndall, the new chiefs established a bare base, built tents, lived in field conditions, and executed mission orders under a simulated Air Tasking Order. Chiefs worked across functional lines in mixed teams to complete combat tasks. 

Participants also took part in the Mission Ready Airman Course, where they repaired spalls, covered craters with matting, loaded weapons onto an F-16 Fighting Falcon, and conducted a dignified transfer and internment. Each task reinforced core warfighting skills and emphasized the demands of operating in contested environments. 

“We didn’t just talk about warfighting — we demonstrated it,” said Flosi. “Chiefs experienced what it means to operate in a contested environment, including limited communications, contested logistics, and unfamiliar terrain. They’ll take this back and apply it locally so that Airmen train and prepare together before they ever deploy.” 

During the training, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin also addressed the cohort, reinforcing the vital role of Airmen in today’s operating environment. 

“The Airmen are our secret weapon, chiefs,” said Allvin. “The initial returns we’re seeing from younger Airmen—who are starting to do the stuff you’re experimenting with right now—they’re loving it. They no longer see themselves as just a weatherman or just a PA troop—they’re seeing themselves as, ‘I know what it takes to do this mission. I know what I can contribute.’ They feel like part of the mission.” 

Participants operated in teams, structured not by Air Force Specialty Code, but by shared purpose, executing tasks under pressure and adapting to rapidly changing conditions. 

One of the most powerful moments, he noted, came at sunset: hundreds of chiefs sitting together, eating MREs, preparing to sleep in the field. 

“It was inspiring,” said Flosi. “They were eating together, sleeping in tents, and pushing through shared hardship. That’s where bonds are built and unity of purpose takes root. This group leaned into the mission, into each other, and into the challenge. You can’t script that, but it’s one of the most powerful outcomes of this training.” 

U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Brian Haney, 732nd Air Mobility Squadron aerial port superintendent, described the experience as a powerful return to warfighting roots. 

“The CIMCT course has been phenomenal. The overall hands-on training … getting out in the field, getting the sweat and experience -- something we haven’t done in 10, 15 years — has been refreshing,” he said. “It’s one thing to lead and give direction, but to actually get out there with them, experience it, and know what they’re going through, it just gives you a broader perspective.” 

CIMCT builds on a 2024 event where Flosi brought senior enlisted leaders to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; and Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands, to experience operations in the Indo-Pacific. This year’s iteration marked a deliberate expansion, targeting the next generation of enlisted leaders. 

“When I stepped into this role, we found gaps in how our senior enlisted leaders were being prepared,” said Flosi. “We adjusted how we train new Airmen, but we hadn’t caught up on the leadership side. CIMCT helps close the gap.” 

The event delivered more than training: it fostered leadership, trust, and the culture of readiness needed to drive lethality at every echelon. 

“It takes all of us to execute the mission and these chiefs are proving they’re ready to lead from the front,” Flosi said.