The Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., hosted a virtual Enlisted Professional Development Summit May 17-19, 2021.

The three day event connected Test Airmen across the AFTC enterprise spanning from Arnold Engineering Development Complex at Arnold AFB, Tenn., the 96th Test Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla., and the 412th Test Wing at Edwards. 

The first day kicked off with a commander’s perspective briefing by AFTC Commander Maj. Gen. Christopher Azzano.

“A lot of you are wearing the TEST patch on your sleeves because the mission is important,” Azzano said. “It’s exciting, and we’re proud of it. We need you as enlisted leaders to be champions for the Test mission, so when you leave the Air Force Test Center, you go with the knowledge of what the Test mission does; raising the understanding of why our mission is so important.”

During the summit, AFTC Command Chief Master Sgt. Brian Stafford reiterated the core mission of AFTC throughout: develop, test, and evaluate Air, Space, and Cyberspace systems to deliver war-winning capabilities.

“This is an opportunity to invest in you, to give you more information to make you a better Airmen, and a better leader,” Stafford said.

Day one focused on strategic messaging for Test. Day two targeted personal development across all enlisted tiers to include emotional intelligence, leadership philosophy and taking care of Airmen.

“We all need to have a basic understanding of why we exist and what our installation functions are,” said Stafford.

Day three focused on professional development, to include the Enlisted Force Distribution Process and Stratification, feedback and getting board ready. The keynote speakers included the command chief for Air Force Materiel Command, Chief Master Sgt. Stanley Cadell.

“The weapon systems that you are a part of testing, developing and getting ready for today, are going to be what’s being utilized in the future,” said Cadell. “AFMC is the foundational command in the Air Force, because everything we do, we do for someone else.”

The event was hosted by a core team of senior non-commissioned officers from within AFTC and was opened up to all enlisted Airmen and career fields. Feedback was collected at the end of each day.

More than 160 AFTC Airmen from Arnold, Eglin, and Edwards Air Force Bases tuned in to learn more about test and its strategic importance to national defense.