Risk Management Annual Refresher Training
By Mr. Kevin Sluss, CSP, Air Mobility Command Risk Management Process Manager
If you have been in the U.S. Air Force (AF) over the last couple of years, you should have participated in the Chief of Staff’s Integrating Risk and Readiness initiative. As part of that effort, everyone received a Risk Management (RM) Fundamentals update, and then, during Phase II of the campaign, a Risk Management Annual Refresher Training. As implied by the name, the annual refresher is just that and is now detailed in the new version of Department of the Air Force (DAF) Instruction (DAFI) 90-802, Risk Management. The continuing refresher has changed from what was done during Phase II.
First, the big news: Real-World Counts! If you perform an actual or exercise Deliberate Risk Assessment using the DD Form 2977, Deliberate Risk Assessment Worksheet, you can receive credit for the annual refresher. If you were part of a team that helped create a more extensive risk assessment (e.g., a wing-wide exercise or airshow), that also counts. Participants in said activity or exercise may receive refresher credit if participating in the risk assessment. What could that participation look like? One would expect a pre-task briefing (e.g., mission brief, tailgate talk) with RM as a discussed item, that covers all the requirements for the annual refresher:
DAFI90-802 20 January 2026
4.1.4. Risk Management Annual Refresher Training (RM ART). This training is mandatory for all DAF personnel, military and civilian (Tier 1 requirement (T-1)).
4.1.4.1. RM ART must include, at a minimum, the Five-Step RM Process, Deliberate versus Real-Time RM, risk decision-making authority, individual responsibilities, and a minimum of one practical exercise or applied real-world deliberate risk-assessment event (T-1).
4.1.4.2. Training materials that support RM ART, including PowerPoint slides and exercise scenarios, are available on the Air Force Safety Center (AFSEC) Risk Management Air Force Portal. Units will tailor these materials to meet local training needs and mission priorities.
4.1.4.3. Completion of RM ART will be documented by Unit Training Managers (UTMs) within the DAF’s enterprise learning management system, myLearning, using the RM ART entry (T-1).
Second, no self-enrollment method exists. The myLearning event for RM ART is the same item but is not associated with a particular year. Once input, the credit is good for 365 days before it becomes due again. It still requires a UTM to input the completion date for everyone, so the completion date must be provided. Each wing in AMC has been advised to publish a policy governing the execution of RM ART that works for the wing. It could be delegated to unit RM representatives or unit safety representatives to determine satisfactory completion and notice to a UTM. Contact your wing RM advisor or instructor for more information.
Third, the classroom option remains available for those who need it. The revised AMC Lesson Plan dated March 2026 was distributed to wings to assist facilitators. Unlike in Phase II, no qualifications are required for facilitators leading the class. Facilitators should lead the group through a discussion of a scenario, either one provided by AFSEC or a create-your-own scenario. Following the training, the names of those who completed the training are provided to a UTM. The wing RM advisor or instructor can provide those materials.
The continuing RM ART assists the AF to ensure RM is inculcated into all AF activities. Obtaining credit for real-world or exercise RM activities encourages AF efforts. Look for ways to add RM assessments to all activities.