PAF AETC

The Philippine Air Force Air Education and Training Command ("PAF AETC") is one of the major Commands of the Philippine Air Force. It is situated in Fernando Air Base, Lipa City, in the province of Batangas.

Fernando Air Base (FAB) was originally constructed by the Japanese Imperial Army over an area of a wide sugar cane plantation before the Second World War. It is 1,220 feet (375m) above sea level and is situated on a plateau over looking Taal Volcano with an area of 288 hectares (712 acres) of land, is about 45 nautical miles (83 km) SSE of Manila.

On 12 April 1948, the late President Manuel Roxas directed the renaming of Lipa Air Base to Fernando field and subsequently, to Fernando Air Base in honor of Lt Col Basilio Fernando, one of the pioneers of Philippine aviation.

In 1952, Fernando Air Base became a training base called the 100th Training Wing where training units and other support units of the Philippine Air Force were grouped.

On 21 September 1999, the 100th Training Wing was deactivated and the Air Education and Training Command was established with a greater responsibility and wider scope of training task.

Primary units

With Major General Pedro Ike I Inserto as the Commander, Colonel Manuel M. Tronco Jr., the Vice Commander and Colonel Alger C Tan as Chief of Command Staff; the command is composed of six (6) primary units namely:
*Air Force Officer School (responsible for preparing officers to assume positions of higher responsibility)
*Basic Military Training School (responsible for training soldier candidates)
*Non-Commissioned Officer School (responsible for conducting career courses for Enlisted Personnel)
*PAF Flying School (responsible for conducting flying training to aviation students to qualify as pilots of the Air Force)
*PAF Officer Candidate School (responsible for training officer candidates)
*PAF Technical Training and Specialization Training School (responsible for conducting technical courses for all Air Force personnel)

upport units

Working with the primary units are four Support Units:
*550th Air Base Group (its mission is to manage, operate and maintain base facilities and to provide support services and security throughout the base)
*440th Aircraft Maintenance Group (its mission is to perform, coordinate and supervise the operation of maintenance function)
*Fernando Air Base Hospital (its mission is to provide hospitalization and outpatient services to military personnel, dependents and other authorized personnel)
*1303rd Dental Dispensary (its mission is to provide dental services to mil personnel, dependents and authorized civilians)

References

External links

* [http://www.paf.mil.ph/units/aetc/index.html The AETC website]