Editing Aerospace and Interstellar Institute

{{InfoBoxAcademicInstitute
| name = Aerospace and Interstellar Institute
| image = Aerospace-institute.png
| imagewidth = 
| caption = AII Insignia Patch
| type = Academy
| Previous Names =
| Location = [[Dover]],<br />[[Midway]]
| Founded = Succession War era
| MilCourse01 = 
| MilCourse01Dates = 
| MilCourse02 = 
| MilCourse02Dates = 
| MilCourse03 = 
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}}

The '''Aerospace and Interstellar Institute''' (AII) is a major aerospace military academy located in the [[Draconis Combine]].  Based on the planet [[Midway]], AII turns out aerospace personnel, including [[DropShip]] and [[JumpShip]] crew members, for the [[Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery]].  The school's colors are orange, black and red, and cadets are allowed to wear the insignia patch on their flight suits but not dress uniforms.<ref name=HKTDC>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p. 138</ref><ref name=HHK146>''Handbook: House Kurita'', p. 146</ref><ref name=FMDC>''Field Manual: Draconis Combine'', pp. 24–25</ref>

Enrollment into AII requires the usual proctor recommendations, although the academy also accepts a limited number of independent petitions.  Depending on the course curriculum, training programs at AII can last anywhere from six months to two years.  All students receive the same basic training program, including small arms and first aid skills, before advancing on to advanced individual training with additional courses and electives from which to choose.<ref name=HHK146/><ref name=FMDC/>  Competition is intense at AII, especially among JumpShip and DropShip cadets: being largely noncombatants, JumpShips only need replacement crew when someone retires or dies, and while DropShips tend to go down with all hands, new ones are built at a relatively slow pace.<ref name=HKTDC/> Because of this, nearly all AII students receive training as [[aerospace fighter]] pilots, with approximately one hundred and forty graduating each year.<ref name=HHK146/><ref name=FMDC/>

Working together with the [[Draconis Combine Admiralty]], AII helped create a new training program for [[WarShip]] crews in [[3056]].  While the DCA is slowly building up its WarShip fleet, AII is turning out more trained personnel than there are WarShips to be crewed.  However, a number of these graduates go on to universities for additional training as line officers to captain future WarShips and other large vessels.<ref name=HHK146/><ref name=FMDC/>

As a standing force, AII maintains two regiments for aerospace fighters and several DropShips for training purposes.<ref name=FMDC/>

(AII) put its WarShip training program on indefinite hold by order of the Admiralty after the [[Jihad]], while increasing the numbers of slots available for JumpShip and DropShip cadets.<ref name=FRDCMSp05>''Field Report: DCMS'', p. 5: "Academies and Command Centers"</ref>

A new officer school was opened on Dover under strict secrecy, allegedly staffed with several surviving officers from [[Operation SCOUR]] to instruct veteran crews on the subtleties of fleet combat.<ref name=FRDCMSp05/>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[Field Manual: Draconis Combine]]''
* ''[[Field Report: DCMS]]''
* ''[[Handbook: House Kurita]]''
* ''[[House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)]]''


[[Category: Military Academies]]