The Academy of Military Science (AMS) is an 8-week (formerly 6 as of March 2014) officer commissioning program of the United States Air Force. AMS is held at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, with the purpose of training and commissioning Air National Guard officers only. AMS was originally located at McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base, outside Knoxville, Tennessee. It was moved to Maxwell in 2009. The move was initiated by a question in 2006 from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force about the potential of a "shared common experience" at a single location among active duty, Guard and Reserve officer candidates.