Lt. Gen. Donna Shipton, Commander, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, recently spoke to a classroom full of up-and-coming acquisition professionals at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Air Force Fundamentals of Acquisition Management (FAM-104) class at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The course prepares new acquisition professionals for their careers by providing them with a foundation in project management and an over-arching understanding of the Department of the Air Force acquisition process.  Images have been altered for PII  (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)

Since fiscal year 2023, nearly 2,000 acquisition professionals have completed FAM 104, or “Fundamentals of Acquisition Management (WFAM104),” through the Air Force Institute of Technology’s School of Systems and Logistics (AFIT LS).  The course is required for Air Force acquisition chemists, physicists, developmental engineers and acquisition program managers, or officers with specialty codes 61C, 61D, 62E, and 63A, and highly recommended for civilian program managers in the 1101 and 343 occupational series.    

AFIT LS, a component of Air University, provides nearly 200 initial skills and Professional Continuing Education (PCE) courses in the areas of acquisition management, contracting, cybersecurity, data analytics, digital acquisition, financial management, logistics, process improvement, and systems engineering for all Air and Space Force grades and ranks, AFSC/SFSCs, and series.

Lt. Gen. Donna Shipton, Commander, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, recently spoke to a classroom full of up-and-coming acquisition professionals at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Air Force Fundamentals of Acquisition Management (FAM-104) class at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The course prepares new acquisition professionals for their careers by providing them with a foundation in project management and an over-arching understanding of the Department of the Air Force acquisition process.  Images have been altered for PII  (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)

The 14-day course prepares new acquisition professionals for their careers by providing them with a foundation in project management and an over-arching understanding of the Department of the Air Force acquisition process.  Students are guided through basic project management skills, such as Work Breakdown Structures (WBS), schedule development, cost estimation, risk management, and budgeting.  For the course capstone project, students must use the skills they acquired to develop an acquisition strategy.

Students have praised the course content and “walked away with real-world skills” they could “immediately” apply to their role. 

Another student remarked that it was “one of the best courses” they attended in their nine years of service and that they were “highly impressed with the experience, enthusiasm and quality of instruction from the staff.”

For more information about FAM 104, please visit:  https://www.afit.edu/LS/course.cfm?c=313

ABOUT AFIT

AFIT’s School of Systems and Logistics (AFIT LS) provides initial skills and PCE courses in the areas of acquisition management, contracting, cybersecurity, data analytics, digital acquisition, financial management, logistics, process improvement, and systems engineering.  Faculty teach an average of 20,000 students a year through in-residence, distance learning, and on-site instruction.  For more information, please visit the AFIT LS webpage https://www.afit.edu/LS/ or email AFIT.LS.EducationSupport@us.af.mil .

AFIT is located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. AFIT’s mission is to educate defense professionals to innovatively accomplish the deterrence and warfighting missions of the USAF and USSF. AFIT’s vision is to lead defense-focused education, research, and consultation to accelerate military superiority across all domains and is accomplished through operationally relevant advanced academic education, research, and professional continuing education. For more information, please visit the AFIT webpage: https://www.afit.edu/