Air Force Basic Training schedule: 8.5 weeks to Airman status

You made the decision to become a United States Airman — congratulations! Now it’s off to Air Force Basic Training to make your goal into reality.

Now, you’re probably wondering what you got yourself into for this next chapter of your life. As you can expect, Air Force Basic Military Training will be a lot of physical and mental work.

But you can prep for it now since the Air Force Basic Training schedule is public. We’ve included it below.

Here’s an Air Force BMT packing list to help you get ready, too. Don’t pack anything that can’t fit in a single backpack. This is basic training, not a vacation.

Ready to jump into your new Airman adventure?

Here’s the details of what you can expect each week.

WEEK 0

Yes, you’re literally starting at ground zero when you enter Basic Military Training (BMT). Be prepared for a lot of yelling, a lot of learning, and a lot of physical exercise. And maybe one phone call home.

Activities & Requirements:

• First week briefing
• 737th Training Group/Commander (CC)/Superintendent (CCC) briefing
• Clothing (running shoe and equipment issue)
• Dorm and drill basics
• Haircuts
• Coping with BMT
• Health, morale and welfare
• Immunization and blood draw
• Initial Base Exchange (BX) issue
• Initial phone call
• Pay
• Physical training
• Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)

WEEK 1

This will be the first “real” week of work and getting to know what the next several weeks will feel and look like as you become an Airman. Nail down these basics, and you’ll feel confident as you move forward and build upon what you learn here on out.

Activities & Requirements:

• Reporting and saluting procedures
• Entry control procedures
• Medical and dental appointments
• Fitness and nutrition briefing
• Educational benefits briefing (Montgomery GI Bill/ Post 9/11)
• ID card issue
• Individual drill
• Flight drill
• Dorm/recruit living area preparation
• Air Force rank insignia recognition
• Weapon issue and familiarization
• Human relations and cultural sensitivity
• Air Force initial PT assessment
• Airmen’s Time
• Commanders arrival briefing
• Dress appearance
• Physical training
• Immunizations
• Intro to classroom procedures
• Military entitlements and educational opportunities
• Suicide awareness and prevention
• Chapel guide meeting

WEEK 2

Now that the initial shock of BMT has settled, it’s time to learn more about what the Air Force is all about. Get ready for a ton of history lessons about your military branch.

Activities & Requirements:

• Career guidance
• Air Force History
• Air Force Organization
• Airmen’s Time — Flight commander team building “which side”
• Airmen’s Time—P2 debriefing
• Airmen’s Time
• Drill Profession of arms
• Chapel guide meeting
• A new beginning
• What Now Airman — Sign the form
• Human relations
• Basic situational awareness
• Open ranks/D&A 1 progress check
• Weapon handling and maintenance
• Professional interpersonal interactions
• Physical training
• Recruit living area appraisal and evaluation

WEEK 3

At this point, the yelling from instructors might not startle you as much. You’ll be in class a lot learning about Airman life. Pay attention because you will be tested!

Activities & Requirements:

• Second clothing issue
• Dress and appearance (service uniform)
• Interview sessions
• 3 Week of Training (WOT) PT appraisal
• Airmen’s Time Airmen’s Time—P2 debriefing
• Basic leadership and character
• Chapel guide meeting
• Cyber awareness
• Drill Weapons handling and maintenance
• Professional Airman Resilience
• What Now Airman — Extra duty
• Healthy lifestyle and adapting to the Air Force
• Physical training
• Public relations and the media
• Trafficking in persons awareness
• Warrior role

WEEK 4

You’ll get into deep topics this week like ethics and sexual assault prevention. Be sure to pay attention to all the lessons, but especially the financial readiness one. You’ll have a stockpile of funds that you couldn’t spend while in BMT, so you’ll want to take the advice learned in the financial session to heart when you do have access to funds again.

Activities & Requirements:

• Airmen’s Time
• Airmen’s Time—Flight commander team building “copycat”
• Airmen’s Time—P2 debriefing
• Base liberty briefing
• Chapel guide meeting
• Haircuts
• Drill
• Consequences
• Real responsibilities of Airman
• What Now Airman—Big brother
• Physical training
• Base referral agencies
• Career progression and Air Force quality of life
• Environmental awareness
• Financial readiness
• Joint ethics
• Military citizenship
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Sexual Assault Prevention and Reporting (SAPR)
• Recruit living area appraisal
• Antiterrorism/force protection level 1

WEEK 5

By this week you’re probably itching to be done with basic training. Your boots will be worn down, but hopefully your confidence has been built up. This week you’ll get to work on team-building exercises and mental preparation for combat.

Activities & Requirements:

• Airmen’s Time
• Airmen’s Time — FC team building “box score”
• Balance
• My role in mission
• Warrior ethos
• What Now Airman—Relationships
• Military skills development progress check
• Physical training
• Weapons progress check
• Individual portraits and flight photos
• Second boot issue
• Recruit living area progress check
• Combat stress recovery
• Intro to Air Force combatives
• Intro to Code of Conduct
• Joint operations
• Law of armed conflict
• Mental preparation for combat
• Principles in first aid
• Drill
• Drill progress check

WEEK 6

This week you test your knowledge and step up for a physical evaluation. Additionally, as long as you’re on track to graduate, you should notify your family ASAP so they can make travel plans. At this point, you’re just a few weeks out from the finish line!

Activities & Requirements:

• Computer-based training/Air Force portal familiarization
• Written test
• Physical Training (PT) evaluation
• Air and Space Expeditionary Force and pre-deployment briefing
• Air Force fitness program
• Airmanship core value briefing
• Airmen’s Time—Flight commander team building “self assessment”
• Airmen’s Time Hometown news release
• Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear (CBRN) defense
• Drill
• Leadership/followership
• Not everything is gray
• Professional competence
• What Now Airman — Help wanted
• Foundational Expeditionary Skills Training (FEST)
• Open ranks/D&A 2 PC
• Physical training
• Chapel guide meeting

WEEK 7

Expect more training this week in field exercises, physical fitness, and perfecting drill routines.

• Physical training
• Basic Expeditionary Airman Skills Training (BEAST)/zone orientation
• Blood donors
• Combat Arms Training and Maintenance (CATM)
• Combatives applications
• Pugil sticks teaching and application
• Creating Leaders, Airmen and Warriors (CLAW) field exercises
• Deployment line processing/ equipment issue
• SERE 2–5 video Mission field exercises
• Refresher drills (FEST, first aid, UCC, PAR)
• Zone teardown/remediation training/equipment turn-in
• Drill

WEEK 8

This is the final week every Airman lives for as graduation is now in sight. Study hard, work hard, and finish strong!

• Physical training
• Airmen’s Time What Now Airman—Celebration
• Risky business
• Haircuts
• Orders pickup/tech training school briefing
• Commander’s departure briefing
• Town pass briefing
• Base liberty
• Open house
• Town pass
• Airman’s Run
• Airman’s Coin and formal retreat ceremony
• Airman’s Parade
• Graduation

Air Force Basic Military Training Will Test You

We share the Air Force Basic Training schedule not to discourage you, but to help you mentally and physically prepare for Air Force BMT.  

This 8.5 week period is meant to push you outside of your comfort zone while building your Air Force knowledge and teamwork ability. While some of the work may seem pointless or tedious, there’s a reason you’re learning it. All of the work and training is meant to test you in ways you never thought imaginable.

If you take pride in every step of your journey as an Airman, you’ll be able to reflect on this time years from now as one of your proudest moments.

When in doubt, connect with your recruiter and ask questions about the schedule. They’ll be able to offer you the best guidance for preparing yourself before you go.

What other questions do you have about Air Force BMT? Ask in the comments below!