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Squadron Officer School (SOS), is a 5.5-week-long Professional Military Education (PME) course for U.S. Air Force and Space Force Captains, Department of the Air Force Civilian (DAFC) equivalents and International Officers. It fulfills the U.S. Air Force's requirement for primary developmental education (PDE). SOS is based at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and the in-residence version of the course is taught there. SOS is an element of the Air University.
SOS 2.0 Online was launched in 2017, and takes approximately 6 months to complete based on the required courses.
Unlike the more senior courses at Air University (e.g., Air Command and Staff College and Air War College), "in residence" attendance at SOS does not include any U.S. officers from sister services, although those officers are eligible to take SOS via correspondence or distance learning formats.
Eligible senior members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the civilian U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, who hold the rank of captain or above are entitled to attend SOS. The curriculum is accessed by CAP student officers through the SOS distance learning platform.
As of at least Class 21F (2 August - 2 September 2021), SOS has returned to in-residence learning, after having offered classes entirely virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.