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The Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate-level Professional Military Education (PME) school. It is a subordinate command of the Air University (AU), also located at Maxwell AFB, and is part of the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) headquartered at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.
ACSC prepares field grade or equivalent level commissioned officers of all U.S. military services in pay grade O-4 (e.g., majors in the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps and lieutenant commanders in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, as well as major-selectees and lieutenant commander-selectees), equivalent rank international military officers, and U.S. Department of Defense and Department of the Air Force civil servants of at least GS-12/GM-12 level, to assume positions of higher responsibility within the military and other government organizations.
Officers in pay grade O-4 and DoD/DAFC civilians in grades GS-12/GM-12 may also complete ACSC via distance learning options, either via a seminar program (if available) at an active USAF installation or via a correspondence course program in CD-ROM format. Successful completion of ACSC or an equivalent command and staff college of another service (e.g., United States Army Command & General Staff College; College of Naval Command and Staff curriculum of the U.S. Naval War College) is considered a de facto requirement for all majors in the U.S. Air Force (to include Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard) to promote to lieutenant colonel.
Eligible senior members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the civilian U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, who hold the rank of major or above are entitled to attend ACSC. The curriculum is accessed by CAP student officers through the ACSC distance learning platform.
ACSC is geared toward teaching the skills necessary for air and space operations in support of a joint campaign, as well as leadership and command at the USAF squadron level or its equivalent in the other services. The school awards a Master of Military Operational Art and Science professional degree to students who complete the program's requirements.