Photo By Gabrielle Terrett | Recent graduates of the B-52 Formal Training Unit pose for photos during their...... read more read more
Becoming a B-52 Stratofortress aviator isn’t something that takes place overnight. It takes years of training, and it all starts at the B-52 Formal Training Unit at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
The B-52 FTU, the sole Air Force schoolhouse for all potential initial and requalification students in the legacy platform, recently graduated its second set of aviators this year during a ceremony here, Sept. 12.
“We’re potentially the most dangerous and destructive aircraft on the planet, and our graduates are taking the torch, moving it forward and up along the field,” said Lt. Col. Millard Matthews III, 93rd Bomb Squadron commander, addressing the graduates. “And we couldn’t do it without our Total Force brethren.”
The FTU is a standing Total Force Integration partnership between the Air Force Reserve’s 93rd Bomb Squadron and its active-duty counterpart, the 11th BS. Together, instructors from both units provide students with a rigorous academic and hands-on curriculum over the course of eight months.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is the importance of being able to rely on the other members of the crew,” said 1st Lt. Colin McDonough, an FTU student assigned to the 11th Bomb Squadron. “There were times we made mistakes, but we got better as the flight line progressed, and by the end, we were able to catch those mistakes and not make them.”
McDonough said while working with their colleagues to earn the distinction of B-52 aviator, FTU students were constantly reminded by their instructors that they were training to become fellow B-52 aviators.
“They [instructors] always said, ‘We’re training you to be one of us,’” said McDonough. “It really shows that they care and want us to be the best because they know that we could be sitting next to them on the jet in one to three years.”
With an emphasis placed on academic and flight training, FTU students were also reminded that their cognitive and physical state is important as well. Hence, their participation in Striker STEEL (Strategically Enhancing Effective Long-Range Strike), a human-performance optimization program tailored for B-52 aircrew.
“It [Striker STEEL] develops our air crew in cognitive and physical development to help give them skills that will be beneficial for them as crew members throughout their Air Force career and in their lives,” said Lt. Colonel James Bresnahan, commander of the 11th Bomb Squadron.
During Striker STEEL, students focused on memory training, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving to help FTU students develop mindful thinking strategies in adverse conditions.
“When we first started [Striker STEEL], they made the expectations very clear – ‘we’re not going to turn you guys into super soldiers here,’” said McDonough. “The idea is that you’re going to be one to three percent better from a cognitive standpoint, which could give you the edge one day down the line.”
After completing their initial pilot training and graduating from the FTU, students join their operational squadron and undergo further training to prepare them for future missions.
“You’re finishing up here, you’ve completed your training aspect, you’ve learned a little bit about the mission, and your next milestones are to become combat-mission ready,” said Bresnahan to the assembled FTU graduates. “So, off you go to your operational squadrons, where they bring you up with the latest additional tactical skills and what it takes to be part of a combat crew.”
The excitement of the ceremony didn’t just incite joy from the crowd filled with family, friends, and military personnel; it also tasked them to continue supporting their new graduates.
“We are necessary and what we do is extremely important, and family members and friends, we need your support now more than ever,” said Matthews. “So, please keep lifting your graduates, check up on them.
The positive response from the crowd after Lt. Col. Matthews' words was thunderous as guests congratulated their graduates.
“It’s really exciting to see the combination of a lot of hard work for these graduates come to life,” said retired Chief Master Sergeant Adrian Bandhu, father of FTU graduate Captain Darrien Bandhu. “They will go on to do bigger and better things in their job as air crew members on the B-52 to protect our nation, future, and ensuring that all of the good in the Air Force continues.”
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.23.2025 09:46 |
| Story ID: | 549035 |
| Location: | BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, LOUISIANA, US |
| Hometown: | BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 102 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Developing the next generation of B-52 aircrew, by Gabrielle Terrett, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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