Colonel Michael S. Newsom
Chief Master Sergeant Learie R. Gaitan
MISSION: Motivate, Train, & Inspire the next generation of AIrmen with the foundation to deliver 21st Century Airpower
VISION: Be the world’s unrivaled Basic Military Training institution WHAT IS AN AIRMAN? Air Force Doctrine Document 1-1 defines "airman" as "any US Air Force member (officer or enlisted, active, reserve, or guard, along with Department of the Air Force civilians) who supports and defends the US Constitution and serves our country. Air Force Airmen are those people who formally belong to the US Air Force and employ or support some aspect of the US Air Force's air and space power capabilities. An Airman is any person who understands and appreciates the full range of air and space power capabilities and can employ or support some aspect of air and space power capabilities."
Out of an abundance of caution, beginning March 13, JBSA officials will suspend all guest attendance for mass gatherings that are not deemed mission essential, to include basic military training (BMT) graduation ceremonies to reduce potential spread of COVID-19.
“Each year, about 40,000 Airmen march across the parade field with up to 7,000 family members in attendance each week for the momentous occasion,” Maj. Gen. Andrea Tullos, 2nd Air Force commander, said. “Gatherings of this size increase the possibility that the virus could be transmitted to our training population. We realize families want to show support to their loved ones and they will be disappointed they can’t participate in the graduation events, but we have a responsibility to protect not only our Airmen but those citizens they will come in contact with as they travel to their follow-on training locations.”
“It is our responsibility to keep our force, our families and our base communities safe,” Brig. Gen. Laura Lenderman, 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander, said. “These force health protection actions are necessary to ensure mission readiness for our forces and their families.”
JBSA officials will continue to monitor and discuss the situation with medical experts to determine when guest attendance at graduation events will resume.
“This is a prudent decision to protect our people and the community in which we live and work,” Maj. Gen. John DeGoes, 59th Medical Wing commander, said. “Infectious diseases don’t respect the fence line and these actions make sense to protect us and our neighbors.”
Basic military training graduation events will be live streamed via 37th Training Wing’s Facebook page every Friday beginning March 13 at 9 a.m. at https://www.facebook.com/37thTrainingWing/
Joint Base San Antonio also has a dedicated Web page for COVID-19 updates at https://www.jbsa.mil/Information/CDC-Novel-Coronavirus-Response-Support/