GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Here in the home of intelligence training, the 17th Training Wing takes pride in building tomorrow’s coalition partners today.
The 313th Training Squadron’s International Intelligence Training Center is responsible for training foreign officers in unclassified intelligence through the International Intelligence Applications Officer Course.
With a mission to provide world-class advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance training to develop and inspire professionals for the Department of Defense and our international partners, the IITC trains personnel from more than 80 different partner nations.
“Our mission is simple: we produce interoperable, ethical intelligence officers who can plug into a coalition operation on day one,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Ryan Best, IITC flight commander. “We teach analytic tradecraft, ISR integration, targeting fundamentals, and the mechanics of sharing information across different systems and different authorities so that our partners and allies can work better together.”
International students in the course represent a wide variety of military branches globally. Each class is culturally diverse, encompassing a broad range of ranks, military experience and nationalities.
IITC instructors adapt instruction to accommodate different military backgrounds, language proficiencies, and learning styles. The curriculum uses a building-block approach and emphasizes visual-first teaching methods, application activities, translation tools, and progressively structured team exercises to ensure that even students with no prior experience in intelligence are set up for success.
“I was highly motivated by the opportunity to expand my professional knowledge,” said Indonesian Air Force Capt. Hendro Susilo, head of intelligence at Sri Mulyono Herlambang Air Force Base in Palembang, South Sumatra. “What I found here is that IITC provides me not only with advanced knowledge, but also the opportunity to observe what other intelligence officers from many different countries are applying to their skills. I found the training very well structured. The USAF has designed a curriculum that blends the combination of theory, simulation, and real-world scenarios.”
Beyond classroom instruction, the IITC holds the International Student Exchange Day for every class they get, where Goodfellow personnel and community leaders from all over San Angelo have the opportunity to learn about its international students’ home countries, cultures, customs and cuisine.
By hosting events like these, the IITC creates a platform that builds more than just professional skills; it creates a bond between international officers and the U.S. military community.
As global threats grow more complex, the IITC continues to build unity and strengthen trust through a global network of nations that can now work together effectively when it matters the most.