OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb -- The 95th Wing activated the 334th Combat Training Squadron and welcomed its first commander, Lt. Col. Brennan Jones, during a ceremony here, Aug. 28, 2026.
Col. Patrick Hook, 95th Operations Group commander, presided over the activation, which marks a major shift in how the Air Force trains aviators for its critical nuclear command and control mission.
By establishing a dedicated formal training unit for the E-4B Nightwatch fleet, the wing is separating aircrew production from operational missions to maximize training agility and combat readiness.
“Our sole focus will be on teaching and training,” Jones said. “This will allow the operational team to focus 100 percent of their effort on executing the mission, knowing that we will continuously supply them with a pipeline of mission-ready aviators capable of handling the heaviest national responsibilities.”
Historically, the dual responsibilities of operational mission execution and aircrew training fell squarely on a single unit — the 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron.
“The 1st ACCS executes a flawless operational mission,” Jones said. “But their focus should be on executing that mission, not managing student pipelines. The 334th CTS is here to handle the training so they can focus 100 percent on the fight.”
Previously, an instructor flight of just 18 personnel managed training. They relied on contractors such as CymStar, which operates the E-4B flight simulator, and Apogee, which supports courseware development and academic instruction. They also used the 95th Wing’s virtual reality lab to immerse aircrews in the aircraft's systems and layout before they ever stepped foot on the flight line.
The training enterprise is now a distinct squadron with a growing permanent staff and a dedicated command team to work alongside the previously listed contractors. This structural separation allows the operational fleet to focus entirely on national-level taskings directed by the president, the secretary of war and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“Historically, when highly qualified aviators arrived here, they were immediately assigned to the 1st ACCS roster,” Jones said. “On paper, these aircrews looked fully trained and mission-ready. In reality, newly arrived operators faced a rigorous three- to nine-month mission qualification pipeline — compounded by normal life events like medical readiness or family growth — during which they are legally unqualified to fly operational lines.”
By moving student aviators to the 334th CTS roster, the training squadron absorbs the administrative overhead and training timelines. Previously, training syllabi managed by a small flight could lag months or years behind aircraft advancements. Now, the 334th CTS has a direct line of advocacy to group and wing leadership.
“We can rapidly accelerate changes that normally take years, ensuring we are instantly incorporating exactly what the 1st ACCS needs in their aviators,” Jones said.
During its initial phase, the 334th CTS will operate with a cadre of approximately 21 permanent personnel — composed of active-duty Airmen, industry partners and contractors — to secure an annual output of about 50 students.
“Our footprint is likely going to grow in a deliberate, phased approach to support both the current E-4B fleet and the future Survivable Airborne Operations Center transition,” Jones said. “We are scaling to meet the demands of tomorrow’s weapon system.”
As the unit matures ahead of the transition to the SAOC, the permanent cadre is projected to grow to about 48 personnel. This expansion will allow the squadron to accelerate syllabi, refine training frameworks and modernize academic instruction while maintaining its baseline annual throughput of 50 aviators.
During the final transition to the SAOC, the cadre will expand to approximately 70 members to support an increased annual throughput of more than 65 graduates, generating SAOC combat capability and scaling processes for the next-generation weapon system.
“Building a squadron from the ground up — especially Air Force Global Strike Command’s only combat training squadron — is a rare privilege, but what makes it truly historic is the lineage we are inheriting,” Jones said.
The 334th CTS will carry forward the lineage of the World War II-era 334th Bombardment Squadron, which flew B-17 Flying Fortresses in the European theater. The historic unit led the 95th Bomb Group on the legendary Regensburg shuttle mission, flew during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, flew supply drops to the Warsaw resistance and delivered food to starving Dutch civilians during Operation Chowhound.
“We have the unique opportunity to forge that World War II legacy into our culture from day one, defined by precision, discipline and lethality,” Jones said.
Beyond jointly managing the training enterprise's $43 million, 1,600-hour flying program with the 1st ACCS, the training squadron is strategically positioned to serve as the foundational training pipeline for the SAOC.
“We are not just building a squadron for the E-4B today,” Jones said. “We are carrying our heritage forward to lay the foundational training culture for the SAOC tomorrow. The E-4B enterprise is and always will be ready to fight.”