So your significant other wants to do the C-17 Weapons School or maybe they just got into the WIC (Weapons Instructor Course).
If you are unsure about the program, I am hoping this read will help you in a positive way!
What even is the WIC?
I’ve heard many people compare it to Top Gun of the Air Force. At weapons school, your pilot or loadmaster (and many more), will train to be tactical experts in their combat specialty with challenging scenarios of current and future events or environments. For the C-17 this includes a couple of papers and presentations- just like a graduate program.
How long is the C-17 Weapons School?
The course in total is about six months with two classes accepted each year, winter and summer. The number of students in the class are fairly small (less than 10) including pilots and loadmasters.
Where is the C- 17 Weapons School located?
The course is based at McChord in WA and has phases (training) in Arizona and Nevada.
What can I expect the timeline to look like?
- Core 1 (2-3 days in Nevada)- this includes academics with every individual weapons school.
- Phase 1: Maneuver Theory (~ 6 weeks at McChord)
- Core 2 (2-3 days in Nevada) more academics with everyone.
- Phase 2: Defensive Tactics (~ 5 weeks at McChord)
- Phase 3: Composite Mission Application (~ 4 weeks in Arizona)- this is where they will experience simulated deployment environments.
- Towards the end of CMA you might discuss assignment preferences for after the course and potentially find out where you will be headed after completion of the weapons school.
- Back at McChord they will have their Call Sign Night which is closed to only the instructors and students.
- Phase 4: Weapons School Integration (~ 4 weeks in Nevada)- this is where they will integrate and fly with every other weapons school.
- Week of graduation includes Patch Night, which is another closed event for each individual weapons school of students and instructors. This is typically held on Thursday the week of graduation.
- Followed by a Friday Family Day and then Formal Graduation on Saturday.
Where is the graduation and what do I wear?
Graduation is held in Las Vegas with limited tickets given to each student for this formal event- think full length gowns. The class will also invite their cadre to the event. The event will start privately with your specified school (C-17 in one room) before joining in the main ballroom or space with all the other Weapons School students for the formal dinner, speeches, and announcement of awards and your partner walking across the stage like a graduation ceremony.
What should I expect as a supporter from a day to day or week to week basis?
Many people tried to “warn” me prior and I know every experience is different but fully preparing myself really helped get me through this difficult course as a spouse! The students will typically stay on base in the hotel during the week and typically have off Friday and Saturday and back to studying on base Sunday. Our experience with the C-17 weapons school was while being stationed at McChord already. Many people might not have this same experience. However, there are still opportunities to see your partner!
Stay busy! Now I’m not saying you have to go crazy like me. I was teaching full time, coaching high school cheerleading, and starting my doctorate in addition to working high school events and cheer competitions, oh and planning our wedding. However, making plans with friends or family, especially during the week or weeks that your partner is away helps the time go by easier and faster. I loved having family visit on the weeks when I knew my pilot would be away and would not be home on the weekend.
Recommendations?
The course can be extremely stressful for your partner and they may be busy literally all day- think 7am- 10pm. As much as I wished my pilot came home in the evening, it made the most sense to stay on base and close to school to rest. A meal service is typical for many students because of the lack of time they have during the course. They can get these meals shipped directly to the hotel on base!
For those who are not stationed at McChord during this course, they may have a couple of opportunities for a little visit. For example, on Memorial Weekend, many go on trips to places like Zion National Park that you may join in on!
Keeping a low expectation was also helpful. By this I mean, not always expecting a “good night” phone call or morning phone call and knowing that the phone call may only be 5- 10 minutes. Staying busy really helped me to not dwell on the conversations. I was thankful to have an amazing support system including the lovely spouses that kept me always doing something- just like a deployment! There were baby showers, dinner dates, wedding dress shopping, movie nights, study dates, and even just time to gather and chat. It was also so amazing being included in events that the spouses in the 57th Weapons Squadron were holding. But unlike deployments, the schedule is pretty set and does not typically change during the course so you will know when they are gone and when they will be graduating!
All in all, you can get through this! This course felt like it went by quickly and being at the graduation felt like such an honorable accomplishment! Many students may take some leave post- graduation to spend some much needed time with loved ones.
Meet Covanni
Covanni has been a GAF/ WAF since 2015. Currently stationed at JBLM with her rescue dog, Dallas. She is a high school science teacher, cheerleading coach, and working on her doctoral program through Florida State.
