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64 Airmen graduate, receive CCAF degree

  • Published
  • By Capt. Michaela Judge
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. --  Hundreds of family members and friends gathered at the Air Base Theater May 5, 2014 at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina to celebrate the academic accomplishments of 64 Community College of the Air Force graduates.

The CCAF offers enlisted Airmen the opportunity to earn an associate in applied science degree or a professional certification in one of several fields of study.

The graduates earned their degrees in various areas ranging from metals technology to explosive ordnance disposal, with more than 31 areas of study represented by the students.

Senior Master Sgt. Eric Keys, 315th Force Support Squadron superintendent of development and education, stressed the importance of completing a CCAF degree for career progression.

"Everyone who joins the Air Force is automatically enrolled in the CCAF," said Keys. "And in fact, technical training can count toward a degree, so often people don't realize how close they are to already completing their degree."

The CCAF is a federally-charted degree-granting institution that serves the United States Air Force's enlisted servicemembers.

According to the Air University website, the CCAF partners with more than 106 affiliated Air Force schools, 82 Education Service Offices located worldwide, and more than 1,500 civilian academic institutions. These locations alone serve more than 305,000 active, guard, and reserve enlisted personnel, making the CCAF the world's largest community college system.

Keys encourages Airmen to stop by Building 51, room 126, and receive education counseling. During the counseling session, he can help individuals navigate through what they still need or don't need for their CCAF degree, as well as talk them through how to transfer credits.

During the ceremony, both Col. Scott Sauter, 315 AW commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Gigi Manning, 315 AW command chief, provided words of wisdom to the graduates.

Sauter stressed the importance of their accomplishments, driving home that the 63 graduates were no longer a group of reservists completing a requirement, but a group of Airmen capable of leading the enterprise.

Manning reminded the group that their CCAF is one thing that no one can take away from them. Looking at the wide range of ranks represented in the room she said, "Regardless of where you are in your career, you can always grow."

The CCAF issued its first degree in 1977, and since then has awarded more than 422,000 associate in applied science degrees. Additionally, students have earned more than 1.6 million hours of college credit with at least a million transcripts issued in the last 10 years, according to Air University's website.

To learn more about the CCAF, follow on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CCAFFB or go directly to the website at http://www.au.af.mil/au/ccaf /

Locally, 315th AW Airmen can visit the Force Development and Education office located in Building 51 at Joint Base Charleston.