Report Pushes New Training Approach for Air Force on AI and Tech

A new report on modernizing Air Force training and education suggests borrowing a method from the civilian technology industry to help Airmen and Guardians build skills in key new areas like artificial intelligence: stackable certificates.

Also called stackable certifications, this approach breaks up long-duration coursework into smaller, bite-sized options that build skills upon each other to reach a higher level of technical expertise, with certifications along the way.

The idea is for training to be on-demand and “just-in-time” to meet a specific need, instead of one-time and untethered from real-world applications. The approach, researchers from the RAND Corporation suggest, is a more modern way to deliver the right education at the right time to busy service members.

“In an era of constrained resources, technological fluency may increasingly need to be treated as a core element of warfighter readiness, not a niche skill or one-time educational requirement,” according to the report.

The report authors offer two approaches to integrating stackable certificates into DAF training and education:

Integrating stackable certificates for technical skill training to the workforce, where it would benefit career fields or missions.
Updating Professional Military Education curricula with stackable certificates where appropriate and feasible.

The Department of the Air Force has already dipped its toe into stackable credentials through its joint AI Accelerator program with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the report notes. The authors aren’t advocating for the model to entirely replace the existing structure of in-residence schools and other more traditional forms of training. Instead, they see it as a way to complement and supplement the existing system in areas where operational and job demands make those options unrealistic.

“We do not argue that stackable certificates should replace PME and the associated leadership development and relationship-building benefits inherent to this established educational system,” according to the report.

There are several “patterns” to implementing stackable certifications: vertical, horizontal, and supplemental.

The vertical version focuses on a single domain, moving from foundational to intermediate, then advanced skill levels.
Horizontal builds competence across related areas within a similar field, regardless of rank or skill level.
Supplemental stacking adds “specialized credits to an existing core program,” according to the report.

“A certificate model allows training to be tailored, progressive, and mission-relevant, enabling Airmen and Guardians to build competence over time rather than through one-time exposure,” according to the report.

The report authors suggested AI and advanced technology training is a clear area where the Department of the Air Force could invest in this kind of approach. Basic AI literacy and data science proficiency are “high” priorities for the department, they note, and the certificates approach gives users tailored training and a roadmap for tech fluency.

Using AI and other tech tools for learning will help Guardians and Airmen as they advance through the ranks, according to the report.

“As AI and advanced technologies increasingly shape military effectiveness, Airmen and Guardians must be prepared not only to operate alongside these capabilities but also to lead with them,” according to the report.

Benefits and Potential Challenges

If adopted, the RAND authors predict that the department could cut PCS costs through more capable remote learning and be better able to retain top talent. The approach could also help with the Air Force’s reintroduced warrant officer program, which is focused on the cyber and IT career fields, by helping build up these technical advisors’ expertise.

While the change won’t eliminate all PCS moves, current in-residence education models do drive significant PCS travel expenditures: the Active-Duty Air Force and Space Force are spending an estimated $95.5 million on training travel in fiscal 2026, according to budget documents.

Still, the report highlights challenges to implementing a modernized training and education system:

Cultural Resistance: Traditional military promotion pathways favor conventional in-residence education, which can create a bias against virtual credentials.
Operational Burnout: Heavy day-to-day mission demands heavily limit the personal study time available to Airmen and Guardians.
Accreditation Gaps: Inconsistent certificate quality from varied providers threatens to dilute established service-learning standards.
Retention Deficits: Private-sector companies actively lure newly upskilled tech talent.
Career Penalties: Misaligned promotion boards may undervalue certifications compared to standard milestones.
Partner Coordination: Varied university timelines and programmatic constraints complicate cross-institutional funding and curriculum sync.

Getting It Right

While the report touts the benefits of the stackable certification approach, it also cautions that how the Department of the Air Force might implement it definitely matters. The department will need to deliberately integrate the certificate process into its training and education in a way that is compatible with Airmen and Guardian responsibilities and career trajectories, according to the report.

“DAF could consider updating promotion and assignment processes to take stackable certificate completion into account and reward technological competencies that benefit the force,” according to the report.

The department could “learn from and avoid repeating the shortcomings of the Army’s flagship AI talent pipeline program,” which saw participants have significantly worse promotion outcomes than their peers.

“Ideally, adopting dynamic skill training models will serve as a mechanism to retain talent because enabling service members to acquire advanced technological skills can support career growth and could reduce separation rates,” according to the report.