Squadron Officer School

Class 26E has graduated and returned to their units around the world, but their impact on the Montgomery community remains. 🤝✈️

During their time at SOS, captains supported local food banks, schools, shelters, animal rescues, community organizations, and the American Red Cross. They helped distribute tens of thousands of food items, supported families in need, installed smoke alarms, donated critical supplies, and volunteered hundreds of hours across the River Region.

Their time at SOS may have been brief, but the difference they made will last much longer.

Different assignments. Different backgrounds. Same commitment to serve. 💥❤️

🎓✨ 338 students graduated yesterday from the Class of 26E—but these students rose to the very top. ✨🎓

Out of an outstanding graduating class of 338, the students listed below earned the prestigious distinction of Distinguished Graduate by achieving the highest levels of excellence in their respective areas.

Their hard work, dedication, and commitment set them apart and serve as an inspiration to their classmates and future students alike.

👏 Please join us in congratulating these exceptional graduates on this remarkable achievement! 👏

🎉🏆🎓

🚨 338 graduates. 24 flights. One unforgettable class. 🚨

Class 26E has graduated and returned to units across the globe, taking with them new knowledge, fresh perspectives, and relationships that will endure long after SOS.

Over the last five weeks, these captains learned, led, planned, competed, and served—contributing more than 550 volunteer hours throughout the local community along the way.

The lessons learned at SOS don’t end at graduation. They return to the force as stronger leaders, better teammates, and more effective warfighters.

Congratulations, Class 26E. Safe travels, and go lead well. ✈️💥

Join us for SOS Class 26E Graduation TOMORROW at 1100 CDT!

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1605205079...

If having issues with the link, download the Zoom Workplace App (phones) or go to Zoomgov.com and click "join" in the top right corner then "join a meeting" and use the following information:

Webinar ID:
160 520 5079

Passcode:
630105

FTX complete. 🌧️⚔️

Missions don’t pause for perfect weather and neither do we 💪

For Class 26E, the culminating event of SOS came with an added challenge: rain. Lots of it.

Operating through wet conditions, changing circumstances, and the inevitable friction that comes with any operation, captains were forced to adapt, communicate, and lead as a team.

Sometimes the best lessons come on the days you’d rather stay dry, right??

26E finished strong. ✈️💥

The future fight will require Airmen who know how to leverage AI—not replace human judgment with it. 🤖✈️

As part of the Air Force Indo-Pacific Wargame, Class 26E used AI tools to help analyze options, challenge assumptions, and refine strategy against a thinking, reacting opponent.

By incorporating AI into the exercise, SOS is helping captains become more familiar with emerging technologies and how they can be used to enhance decision-making in military planning.

As technology continues to transform the battlefield, Professional Military Education must keep pace. But some things never change—the need for leaders who can think critically, solve complex problems, and make sound decisions in dynamic environments.

Plans were built. Assumptions were challenged. Coffee was consumed. ☕📋✈️

During TTX-1 and TTX-2, Class 26E worked through complex planning problems, turning ideas into executable courses of action through collaboration, critical thinking, and a healthy amount of debate all using the Air Force Planning Process.

Because good plans don’t happen by accident. 💥

Why do we play FLEX at SOS?? 🏐💥

Team sports strengthen trust, communication, cohesion, and decision-making under pressure—all critical traits for effective leaders and successful teams.

For Class 26E, FLEX was an opportunity to compete, adapt, and work together toward a common goal. The game’s rules even mirror Air Force concepts, with different balls representing various assets and munitions, forcing teams to think strategically about capabilities, risk, and resource allocation.

The same qualities that help teams succeed on the field—trust, resilience, teamwork, and adaptability—are the qualities that help Airmen succeed in complex operational environments.

The scoreboards mattered. The lessons mattered more. ✈️💪

Project X is designed to teach planning, teamwork, communication, and risk management.

For Class 26E, it also taught an important lesson: risk tolerance goes way up when it’s 90 degrees outside and the water starts looking refreshing. 😅💦

As captains worked through challenges and solved problems as a team, some may have become a little too comfortable accepting risk. The result? Plenty of splashdowns.

Mission accomplished. Lessons learned. Captains walking away from Project X dry? Not a chance. ✈️🌊

This week was a busy week three for the Class of 26E. Students were challenged with Experientials including Project X and planning for Table Top Exercise 1 (TTX 1)