Researchers assessed how the U.S. Air Force can develop Airminded Warrior identity during initial training. They found that, although Airmen identify with the Air Force, the Airminded Warrior identity requires more development. They recommend emphasizing Air Force history, modeling appearance standards, recognizing achievements, refining experiential learning, and clearly communicating the Airminded Warrior concept to reinforce identity.

Cultivating a Warrior Ethos in the Air Force

Strategies for Developing Airminded Warriors in Initial Training

Tracy C. Krueger, Maria C. Lytell, Amy Nabel, Hilary Reininger, Makai Ruffin, Angela K. Clague, Brandon Krueger, Nathan Thompson, Robert Ulrich Nagel

ResearchPublished Jun 24, 2026

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The Department of the Air Force is revising the U.S. Air Force’s Basic Military Training and technical training programs to cultivate Airminded Warriors—Airmen who possess a deep understanding of the service’s mission, embody its core values, and demonstrate a warrior ethos that transcends functional roles. RAND researchers examined how the Air Force’s sister services foster strong service identities and pinpoint lessons applicable to strengthening service identity.

Using a qualitative approach that included literature and document reviews, interviews, focus groups, and observations, researchers gathered data from 50 sister-service members and veterans, 34 Air Force instructors and leaders, and 127 Air Force technical trainees, supplemented by observations of the Primary Agile Combat Employment Range, Forward Operational Readiness Generation Exercise (PACER FORGE) Provisional.

Findings indicate that Air Force technical trainees identify with the Airman identity but less so with an Airminded Warrior identity. Sister-service and Air Force interviewees associated the Air Force with technical competence, innovation, and high quality of life but noted that these attributes can diverge from traditional military expectations that include shared physical hardship. Researchers found that sister services use multiple reinforcing mechanisms to develop strong service identities in their members.

Recommendations include applying lessons from sister services by emphasizing Air Force history and lineage, consistently modeling appearance standards, and enhancing recognition of achievements; further investing in the PACER FORGE construct; and clarifying and communicating the Airminded Warrior concept through refined definitions and outcomes. These actions are intended to strengthen identity development across initial training and beyond.

Key Takeaways

  • Air Force technical training instructors (TTIs), military training leaders (MTLs), and technical trainees described Airman identity as embracing Air Force core values, the broader mission, and service to the country.
  • Technical trainees prioritized Airman identity over career-field identity, whereas TTIs and MTLs identified more strongly with their career fields while still emphasizing the Air Force mission. The term Airminded Warrior was unfamiliar to most TTIs, MTLs, and technical trainees.
  • Participants were divided on whether the warrior identity applies to all Airmen, noting that it could unintentionally signal that support roles are less vital than operational ones.
  • Technical trainees could describe how different functions contribute to mission success but said that they often felt disconnected because they had not yet participated directly in missions.
  • Sister-service personnel noted that strong service identity can boost morale, belonging, and retention while fostering ownership but can also increase insularity and reduce effectiveness in joint settings.
  • TTIs and MTLs emphasized that strong occupational identity develops technical and leadership skills and increases job satisfaction but might limit understanding of the Air Force mission, decrease unity among Airmen, and increase resistance to organizational changes.
  • The Air Force is viewed as offering high quality of life, technical competence, innovation, and independence, although these characteristics might diverge from traditional military expectations emphasizing shared physical hardship.

Recommendations

  • Implement lessons learned from the sister services to improve how the Air Force builds service identity. Identify and integrate practices that leverage Air Force history to help Airmen build an emotional connection and shared identity. Consistently model and uphold appearance standards throughout initial training. Incorporate timely, appropriate, and authentic recognition of achievements and milestones, and explore a redesign of the Air Force dress blues service uniform.
  • Further invest in the PACER FORGE construct to enhance its effectiveness. Design additional opportunities so that all recruits can have meaningful responsibilities. Incorporate more Air Force–centric elements by prioritizing Air Force–unique mission demands. Evaluate the current effectiveness to meet objectives and closely monitor future changes.
  • Clarify and communicate the broader context for Airminded Warrior identity development. Further define the problem and desired outcomes. Develop more-detailed definitions of key identity concepts. Communicate identity concepts and why they matter.

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Krueger, Tracy C., Maria C. Lytell, Amy Nabel, Hilary Reininger, Makai Ruffin, Angela K. Clague, Brandon Krueger, Nathan Thompson, and Robert Ulrich Nagel, Cultivating a Warrior Ethos in the Air Force: Strategies for Developing Airminded Warriors in Initial Training. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2026. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA3738-1.html.
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This research was sponsored by the Second Air Force and conducted by RAND Project AIR FORCE.

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