Study guide
20.6 Preserving Our Heritage
Air Force PFE Promotion Fitness Examination
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1 Introduction & Exam Overview
1.1 PFE Exam Facts & Format 1.2 The WAPS Scoring System 1.3 The Tested AFH 1 Chapters & Study Strategy
2 Professionalism (AFH 1, Chapter 1)
2.1 The USAF Professional & the Profession of Arms 2.2 The Air Force Core Values & Their Virtues 2.3 Ethical Standards & the Airman's Creed
3 Military Organization & Command (AFH 1, Chapter 5)
3.1 The United States Armed Forces 3.2 The Military Departments & Services 3.3 Military Command Structure & Combatant Commands 3.4 The Air Force Total Force 3.5 Air Force Organizational Structure
4 Enlisted Force Development I (AFH 1, Chapter 7A–7D)
4.1 Leadership Levels 4.2 The Enlisted Force Structure & Tiers 4.3 Duty Titles & Special Positions 4.4 Force Development & the Competency Framework
5 Enlisted Force Development II (AFH 1, Chapter 7E–7H)
5.1 Training Responsibilities & Upgrade Training 5.2 Professional Military Education 5.3 The Community College of the Air Force 5.4 Continuing Education & Voluntary Programs
6 Assessments & Recognition (AFH 1, Chapter 8)
6.1 The Airman Comprehensive Assessment 6.2 Performance Evaluations & the EPB 6.3 Reenlistments, Retention & Continuation 6.4 Awards & Decorations
7 Enlisted Promotions (AFH 1, Chapter 9)
7.1 Promotion Systems & Programs 7.2 Promotion Cycles & Eligibility 7.3 Preparation & Individual Responsibilities 7.4 Promotion Testing & Test Control 7.5 Evaluation Boards & Central Selection
8 Personnel Programs & Benefits (AFH 1, Chapter 11)
8.1 Benefits & Services 8.2 Leave & Authorized Absences 8.3 Military Associations & Civilian Programs
9 Finance, Manpower & Resources (AFH 1, Chapter 12)
9.1 Individual Finances & Allowances 9.2 Official Travel Expenses & Allowances 9.3 Manpower Management 9.4 Resource Management & Stewardship 9.5 Environmental Commitment
10 Developing Organizations (AFH 1, Chapter 13)
10.1 Strategic Thinking & Results Focus 10.2 Resources & Organizational Structure 10.3 Change Management & Problem Solving
11 Developing Others (AFH 1, Chapter 14)
11.1 Teamwork & Team Dynamics 11.2 Develops People: Mentoring, Coaching & Feedback 11.3 Service Mindset & Fostering Effective Relationships 11.4 Leadership: Styles, Power & Influence
12 Developing Self I (AFH 1, Chapter 15A–15C)
12.1 Accountability & Self-Management 12.2 Military Communication 12.3 Preparing to Communicate
13 Developing Self II (AFH 1, Chapter 15D–15F)
13.1 Written Communication 13.2 Spoken Communication 13.3 Electronic Messaging
14 Developing Ideas (AFH 1, Chapter 16)
14.1 What We Know: Priorities & Innovation 14.2 Cognitive Processes & Critical Thinking 14.3 Informed Decision-Making 14.4 What We Don't Know: Uncertainty & Assumptions
15 Emergency Management (AFH 1, Chapter 17)
15.1 Air Force Emergency Management, Disasters & Hazards 15.2 Preparedness, MOPP & Individual Protection 15.3 Crisis Response & Recovery 15.4 Department of the Air Force Mishap Prevention 15.5 Risk Management
16 Security (AFH 1, Chapter 18)
16.1 Integrated Defense & Force Protection Conditions 16.2 Operations Security (OPSEC) 16.3 Information Protection & Classification 16.4 Information Access, Cybersecurity & Mobility 16.5 Antiterrorism
17 Standards of Conduct (AFH 1, Chapter 19)
17.1 A Way of Life: Oaths, Standards & Off-Duty Conduct 17.2 The Law of War 17.3 The Code of Conduct
18 Enforcing Military Standards (AFH 1, Chapter 20)
18.1 The Air Force Inspection System 18.2 Individual Accountability & Corrective Action 18.3 Appropriate Working Relationships & Fraternization 18.4 Addressing Misconduct & Prohibited Behavior
19 Fitness & Readiness (AFH 1, Chapter 22)
19.1 USAF Fitness & Comprehensive Airman Fitness 19.2 The Official Fitness Assessment 19.3 Nutrition & Performance 19.4 Substance Use, Abuse & Treatment Programs 19.5 Readiness State of Mind & Resilience
20 Military Customs & Courtesies (AFH 1, Chapter 24)
20.1 Honored Traditions: Saluting, Titles & Reporting 20.2 Respect for the Flag 20.3 Respect for Individuals 20.4 Ceremonies & Events 20.5 Drill & Formation 20.6 Preserving Our Heritage
21 SJT Format & Competencies
21.1 SJT Format & Mechanics 21.2 Airman Leadership Qualities (ALQs) 21.3 Foundational Competencies & Behaviors
22 SJT Reasoning, Scenarios & Traps
22.1 SJT Reasoning Strategies 22.2 Sample SJT Scenarios 22.3 SJT Traps & Best Practices
20.6 Preserving Our Heritage
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
The Air Force Enlisted Heritage Research Institute at Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex holds over 200,000 original documents and reference materials.
The Enlisted Heritage Hall is the only enlisted-centric museum in the Air Force — a 14,000 square foot museum developed by the SNCO Academy in 1983 in a building that was originally a 1942 segregated dining facility.
The Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, was dedicated by President George W. Bush on 14 October 2006.
The Memorial's three asymmetrical spires reach heights of 201, 231, and 270 feet, and its northern wall theme is 'Valor' while the southern wall theme is Air Force core 'Values.'
The Memorial was designed by architect James I. Freed, who borrowed the runway patterns from World War II airfields.
Last updated: August 2026
The Air Force Enlisted Heritage Research Institute
Located at Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Alabama , the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Research Institute is "a repository for Air Force enlisted history and heritage."
"It contains over 200,000 original documents and reference materials spanning the ages from balloon aviation to current operations."
Note the location: Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex is also where the Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education (Chapter 7) and the CCAF administrative center (Chapter 7) sit. Three enlisted institutions share the same address, which is why the exam pairs them.
The Enlisted Heritage Hall Museum
The Research Institute "is housed within the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Hall Museum, which is the only enlisted-centric museum in the Air Force and a place of honor designed to remember and teach the importance of enlisted contributions to Air Power."
"The only enlisted-centric museum in the Air Force" is the superlative most likely to be tested.
- Fact Detail
- Size 14,000 square feet
- Developed by The Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy
- Year developed 1983
- Original building A 1942 segregated dining facility
- Exhibits Over 280 individual exhibits
- Artifacts Over 3,000 artifacts on display
Notable holdings AFH 1 lists: the authentic medal from four of the eight enlisted Medals of Honor , a B-17 Ball Turret , a B-52 Tail Gun , and uniforms from Air Force members including former CMSAFs, POWs, and Medal of Honor and Air Force Cross recipients.
"Four of the eight enlisted Medals of Honor" is the numeric pairing most likely to appear as an item.
AFH 1 closes the passage with a quotation from CMSAF (retired) Wayne L. Fisk , the first Director of the Air Force Enlisted Heritage Hall :
"I cannot emphasize enough to the people in uniform — the fabric of our nation — they have not misplaced their trust in the defense of America and what we stand for."
- The Air Force Memorial
- Located in Arlington, Virginia , the Memorial "commemorates 'Airmen' — past, present, and future."
The origin story. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War , "the world witnessed the Air Force using advanced technology and delivering a degree of air superiority undreamed of by the World War II Army Air Corps." Members from the Air Force Association and Air Force Sergeants Association realized there was no national memorial to commemorate the Air Force's air dominance.
"On October 14, 2006, fifteen years after the 1991 Persian Gulf War, President George W. Bush dedicated the Air Force Memorial to Airmen."
Two dates and one president: 1991 Gulf War → 14 October 2006 dedication by President George W. Bush, fifteen years later.
The Design
Renowned architect James I. Freed designed the Memorial "by first borrowing the runway patterns from World War II airfields." He "further ensured the 5-pointed star remains prominent in the public eye as it is on Air Force aircraft, missiles, and on enlisted chevrons."
- Element Detail
- The star Centered at the base of the three asymmetrical spires
The spires Three asymmetrical spires reaching heights of 201, 231, and 270 feet , standing at the foot of a runway
Opposing quotes The spires are "diametrically opposed from World War II quotes by our founding fathers, Generals Billy Mitchell, Henry 'Hap' Arnold, and Carl Spaatz"
- Granite walls 10 feet high and 56 feet long , on the northern and southern boundaries of the parade field
- Northern wall theme "Valor"
- Southern wall theme Air Force core "Values"
Contemplation wall A glass wall engraved with the 4-ship missing man formation, paying tribute to fallen Airmen
Honor Guard Statue A 16-foot bronze statue created by sculptor Zenos Frudakis , central to the Memorial — "a testimony to the Air Force's military courtesies, dress and appearance, and drill and ceremonies"
The three spire heights — 201, 231, and 270 feet — are the most reliably tested numbers in Section 24F. So is the Valor / Values split between the northern and southern walls.
The northern wall lists all aerospace Medal of Honor recipients and their hometowns , beginning with World War I U.S. Army Air Corps aviators Lieutenants Bleckley, Goetler, Luke, and Rickenbacker and running to TSgt John A. Chapman, who in 2002 died valiantly in Afghanistan.
TSgt John A. Chapman is worth remembering by name — an enlisted Airman whose Medal of Honor action closes the list on the Valor wall.
The Memorial also lists two centuries of combat and contingency campaigns , with quotes along the walls defining their contributions to the nation.
The Honor Guard Statue connects the Memorial back to the beginning of this chapter: it stands as a testimony to military courtesies, dress and appearance, and drill and ceremonies — the three areas the Base Honor Guard program exists to emphasize. AFH 1 adds: "Most importantly, the Honor Guard statue represent what we value the most — our people."
The Dedication Quotation
AFH 1 closes the tested chapters with President George W. Bush's words at the dedication, which explain why the Memorial exists at all:
"A Soldier can walk the battlefields where [they] once fought; a Marine can walk the beaches [they] once stormed; but an airman can never visit the patch of sky [they] raced across on a mission to defend freedom. And so it's fitting that, from this day forward, the men and women of the Air Force will have this memorial, a place here on the ground that recognizes their achievements and sacrifices in the skies above."
That passage is quotable enough to appear verbatim on an exam item, and its argument — that airpower leaves no ground to return to — is the reason both the Memorial and the Enlisted Heritage Hall exist.
Why This Section Closes the Chapter
Section 24F is short, but its placement is deliberate. Chapter 24 begins with why customs and courtesies matter — building morale, esprit de corps, discipline, and mission effectiveness — and ends with the physical institutions that hold that heritage in place : a research institute with 200,000 documents, the only enlisted-centric museum in the service, and a national memorial whose central statue depicts an honor guard.
For an NCO, the practical takeaway matches the theme of the whole chapter: heritage is not preserved by buildings alone but by the daily practice of the customs those buildings commemorate — the salute rendered at retreat, the flag folded correctly, the reenlistment oath administered with a flag as backdrop.