Chapman Training Annex, Texas — The Special Warfare Training Wing (SWTW) marked a historic milestone today as it launched the first-ever Zulu Course, a groundbreaking common skills training program uniting Air Force Special Warfare (AFSPECWAR) career fields under one standardized curriculum.
The Zulu Course is aimed at aligning common training standards across Combat Control, Pararescue, Tactical Air Control Party, Special Reconnaissance, and their respective officer careers. By consolidating critical early-stage training, the course strengthens interoperability among AFSPECWAR Airmen and enhances mission readiness for global operations.
“This course is the result of deliberate data-driven analysis and a shared commitment to producing the world’s most capable operators,” said Lt. Col. Benjamin Schmidt, Director of Plans and Policy for the SWTW. “The Zulu Course establishes a shared foundation for our operators from day one, ensuring graduates leave here with the same core skills, knowledge base, and mindset.”
Held at the Chapman Training Annex in San Antonio, Texas, the Zulu Course brings together skillsets that were previously taught at multiple locations into a single, cohesive program that’s focused on the basic skills of shoot, move, communicate, casualty care, weapons, advanced insertion/extraction skills, individual skills, and small team operations. The course is taught by instructors with operational experience across the AFSPECWAR enterprise, combining expertise from multiple career fields to deliver holistic training.
The name “Zulu” was chosen as based off the Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) system. Zulu is the phonetic alphabet code that denotes an AFSPECWAR Airmen, with the enlisted code being 1Z and the officer code being 19Z.
“This is a defining moment not just for the Wing, but for the future of Air Force Special Warfare,” said Col. Kaveri Crum, commander of the SWTW. “A tremendous amount of time and effort has gone into making the Zulu Course a reality. I could not be prouder of this team.”
The inaugural class will spend 16 weeks mastering the common skills curriculum before moving on to their respective advanced training courses. The lessons learned from this first iteration will help refine future courses to better deliver the skills that the operational field requires.
With the launch of the Zulu Course, the Special Warfare Training Wing continues to assess, select, and train, now with an even stronger and more unified foundation.
Story by 1st Lt Casen Salitore, Special Warfare Training Wing