AFSPC Command Chief peeks behind the scenes of CCAF

by Tech. Sgt. Michael Slater
Air Force Space Command Public Affairs

6/10/2014 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- On a recent visit to the Gunter Annex of Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., Chief Master Sergeant Douglas L. McIntyre, Command Chief, Air Force Space Command, toured the Community College of the Air Force facilities.

During the tour Chief McIntyre was shown a small room containing individuals opening envelopes by hand.

"I asked the person giving the tour, 'What's going on in here?' They told me here is where the paper transcripts are sent in from all over the world. I was amazed at the sheer volume of paper transcripts they were dealing with," Chief McIntyre said. "It also made me feel good knowing each of those envelopes represents an Airman trying to better him or herself through education."

The CCAF administrative center, located on the Gunter Annex of Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., maintains nearly 3 million student records and handles 125,000 transcript requests annually from Airmen past and present pursuing higher education.

"Part of the reason we are the best Air Force in the world is the value we place on education," Chief McIntyre said.

CCAF graduates echoed that sentiment during a 2013 graduate survey. Two-thirds said earning their CCAF degree improved their oral communication skills and more than half reported improvements in other critical mission areas, such as, leadership, writing skills and critical thinking.

"During my tour, I received some education numbers for the Air Force and for AFSPC. I am happy to say the AFSPC Airmen didn't let me down," Chief McIntyre said. "You always want to know how your Airmen are performing compared to the rest of the force. AFSPC is above the Air Force average in every enlisted tier pursuing associate thru master's degrees.

"I am proud of all the AFSPC Airmen who have earned their CCAF degrees, but I am especially proud of our Airman Tier. They are six percent above the Air Force average for CCAF degrees."

Chief McIntyre said, with the advent of programs like the Associates to Bachelorette program, or ABC, a CCAF degree can be an accelerated path to achieving a 4-year degree.

He also expressed his appreciation to the CCAF leadership for leading the tour.

"I would like to extend a special thank you to Lt. Col. Michael Artelli and Chief Master Sgt. Andrew Hollis for hosting me on the tour," Chief McIntyre said. "I've always been a proponent for the CCAF and seeing them in action further solidified that."

The Community College of the Air Force is the largest community college in the United States with over 302,000 students, more than the 2nd and 3rd largest schools combined.

To find out more about the Community College of the Air Force or the ABC program, visit the Air University website at www.au.af.mil.