Maxwell Air Force Base has officially announced the relocation of the U.S. Air Force Enlisted Professional Military Education (EPME) headquarters to Chennault Circle, the central educational hub of the base. Previously located at Maxwell’s Gunter Annex, the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education is now housed in Building 1400 on the main Maxwell campus.
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The transition was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, May 9. Participating in the event were Col. Damian Schlussel, Commander of the Barnes Center; Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David A. Flosi; and Maj. Gen. Parker H. Wright, Commander of the Curtis E. LeMay Center and Deputy Commander of Air University.
In a post shared by Maxwell Air Force Base on Facebook, Col. Schlussel reflected on the change.
“The Barnes Center’s move from Maxwell’s Gunter Annex to Chennault Circle symbolizes the importance of enlisted education and the promotion of Airmindedness across the entirety of our force,” Schlussel stated. “There are no mission sets that are accomplished in the Air Force without the direct involvement of enlisted Airmen, so our PME experiences should mirror that enlisted, officer synergy.”
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The Barnes Center, named after the Air Force’s fourth Chief Master Sergeant, oversees key enlisted development programs, including:
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Airman Leadership School
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Noncommissioned Officer Academy
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Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy
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Chief Leadership Course
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Enlisted Professional Military Education Instructor Course
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Air Force Enlisted Heritage Research Institute
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Foundations courses
Chennault Circle—formerly known as Academic Circle—was constructed in the 1950s and is named after Lt. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault, leader of the famed WWII Flying Tigers. The area serves as the educational core of Air University, home to institutions such as the Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, Squadron Officer School, and the new Air Force Warrant Officer Training School.
Maxwell Air Force Base is located just west of downtown Montgomery, Alabama, with its Gunter Annex situated off Congressman Dickinson Drive near the Eastern Boulevard bypass.
Sherri Blevins is a writer for Mountain Valley News and a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
