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Instructor pilots assigned to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program operate U.S. Air Force T-38C Talon aircraft above Wichita Falls, Texas, July 21, 2022. The ENJJPT program is conducted by the 80th Flying Training Wing and is the world's only multi-nationally manned and managed flying training program chartered to produce combat pilots for NATO. (U.S Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joseph Pick)

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Four thousand Airmen and 80 aircraft participated in a one-of-a-kind elephant walk April 7, 2023, at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Technical training students from the 82nd Training Wing joined 40 T-38 Talon and 40 T-6A Texan trainer aircraft from the 80th Flying Training Wing on the runway to shine a spotlight on the importance of training as the foundation of airpower. (Courtesy photo)

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80th Flying Training Wing earns Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award for 2024

Published March 24, 2026
By 1st Lt. Elizabeth Notice
80th Flying Training Wing

SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --

The 80th Flying Training Wing has been awarded the Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award for 2024, recognizing exceptionally meritorious service and achievements that set the wing apart from its peers.

“The 80th FTW proves every day why this is the world’s premier flying training program, delivering record sortie generation and pilot production despite constrained resources,” said Col. Jeffrey Shulman, 80th Flying Training Wing commander. “These achievements significantly enhance the readiness and effectiveness of the U.S. Air Force and our NATO partners.”

Presented by the Department of the Air Force, the award honors units that have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service or outstanding achievement that clearly sets the unit above and apart from similar units.

During the award period, the 80th FTW executed more than 74,000 sorties totaling over 128,000 flying hours while operating the Air Force’s second-busiest joint-use airfield. The wing also graduated 384 combat pilots for the NATO alliance, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of allied pilot training.

The wing secured $43 million in funding from the state of Texas, the U.S. Air Force and 14 NATO partner nations for a critical runway project. The investment prevented a projected 20% loss in pilot production and positions the wing to produce its highest number of pilots in more than a decade.

The wing also partnered with Air Education and Training Command, the Defense Health Agency and the 82nd Training Wing to restore on base ambulance services, improving emergency response times for approximately 40,000 personnel, including NATO members and their families.

The Air and Space Outstanding Unit Award is presented to units that distinguish themselves through exceptionally meritorious service or outstanding achievement, clearly setting them above similar organizations across the force.

For more information on ENJJPT, visit https://www.sheppard.af.mil/Units/80th-Flying-Training-Wing/.