SOS Mission & Vision: "Enhance air and space minded leaders...primed to prevail in competitive environments."
SOS Goal: Graduated students will return to their units with an enhanced understanding of the institutional competencies, leadership actions, and key elements of reasoning required to fly, fight, and win in the 21st century.
Formed in 1950, the Squadron Officer School (SOS) program has evolved continuously to meet modern challenges in order to provide relevant professional military education. Today, the Squadron Officer School in-residence program is an immersive educational experience for US Air Force and US Space Force active duty, guard, and reserve captains, civilians, and international officers.
The purpose of SOS is to develop solution-minded, bold, and courageous Airmen and Guardians ready to overcome tomorrow's challenges. The course is structured around three areas: leadership, strategic design, and joint warfare. Students will engage in classroom and hands-on application events to know themselves to lead themselves, know their team to lead their team, foster a strategic and creative mindset, resolve conflict effectively, collaboratively solve problems, and gain foundational knowledge on airpower doctrine, international paradigms, and joint all-domain warfare to learn to lead in uncertain environments.
With the establishment of the US Space Force, SOS has developed a space-specific academic program titled "Space Gray Rhinos" that is accomplished as part of the in-residence SOS curriculum. Space Force Guardians will focus on space as it applies across the instrument of power, in the past, now, and in the future. USSF students will complete a group capstone project tackling the focus areas outlined in the CSO Planning Guidance.
SOS Course Dates:
Class |
Course Start Date (CSD) |
Graduate |
Deadline for Waivers and Student Updates (COB) |
FY Class of 21 |
21F |
2 Aug 21 - 2 Sep 21 |
2 Sep 21 IN-RES |
19 Jul 21 |
21G |
20 Sep 21 - 22 Oct 21 IN-RES |
22 Oct 21 IN-RES |
3 Sep 21 |
FY Class of 22 |
22A |
8 Nov 21 - 15 Dec 21 IN-RES |
15 Dec 21 IN-RES |
TBD |
22B |
10 Jan 22 - 11 Feb 22 IN-RES |
11 Feb 22 IN-RES |
TBD |
22C |
28 Feb 22- 1 Apr 22 IN-RES |
1 Apr 22 IN-RES |
TBD |
22D |
18 Apr 22 - 20 May 22 IN-RES |
20 May 22 IN-RES |
TBD |
22E |
13 Jun 22 - 15 Jul 22 IN-RES |
15 Jul 22 IN-RES |
TBD |