EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A good education is one of the top five quality-of-life challenges for military families. Accessibility to quality education directly impacts the readiness, retention and future of our Air Force, especially for remote and isolated installations. If service members are concerned about their children’s schooling, they cannot focus on our shared mission in this era of Great Power Competition.
During the last few years, leaders and Airmen of the 412th Test Wing have worked together to streamline critical roles to better serve our community. This is particularly focused on supporting students, families and military leaders through the School Liaison Program and STARBASE at Edwards Air Force Base.
School Liaison Program

L: TK Students from William A. Bailey visit the 50th Anniversary of the F-16 Celebration. More than 1,200 students from Muroc Joint Unified School District attended the event to see static displays, participate in STEM activities and watch a fly over from the Thunderbirds. R: Students from West Boron Elementary watch the Thunderbirds practice from the Edwards flight line.

L: Chief Master Sgt. Jermaine King, 412th Mission Support Group, autographs Air Force swag during the 50th Anniversary of the F-16 Celebration. C: Students from William A. Bailey Elementary participate in a Show and Tell event by the 412th Security Forces Squadron. R: Col. Chris Carnduff, 412th Mission Support Group commander, addresses the audience at the Edwards AFB Back-to-School Bash.
School Liaison program managers are the central point of contact for commanders, military families and school districts interested in local preschool through high school education topics.
“We advocate for military-connected students at the local, state and national level,” said Rebecca Balkenbush, School Liaison program manager for the 412th Test Wing. “We generate real-time solutions for military-connected students as they face educational challenges and transitions.”
Strong schools are a hallmark for the installation’s Line of Effort 1 – Develop Our People and Strengthen Our Teams. Balkenbush directly supports more than 1,900 military-connected students, with nearly 600 students attending Muroc Joint Unified School District. Edwards Air Force Base houses three schools that serve Kindergarten through 12th grade in a centrally located educational complex that received a combined $180 million renovation investment in 2022.
The School Liaison program supports all families with school-age children connected to Edwards AFB, serving more than 130 schools across 14 school districts in the local area including families who homeschool, foreign nationals and DOD civilians. School Liaisons offer several programs to support military-connected students including:
- Anchored4Life: Anchored4Life is an Air Force funded program available to all students at the three schools on base. The School Liaison collaborates with Anchored4Life to provide students with resilience and leadership training, supporting smoother transitions through Permanent Change of Station and deployments, and fostering an overall sense of belonging in the community.
- Child and Youth Behavioral Military and Family Life Counselors: The School Liaison Program is also responsible for the Child and Youth Behavioral Military Family Life Counselors on base. They partner with counselors to connect families and schools with on-site counseling services, promoting emotional well-being and addressing the unique challenges faced by military-connected students.
- Grants and Scholarships: An installation’s school liaison also provides resources and guidance on accessing education-focused grants and scholarships tailored for military children, helping families alleviate financial burdens related to academics.
- Change of Station Support: The School Liaison Program offers personalized assistance to families during Permanent Change of Station moves, easing transitions by connecting them with local schools, enrollment processes, and academic resources.
- Purple Star Schools: The program advocates for and supports schools in earning the Purple Star designation, ensuring they meet the needs of military families through dedicated resources, staff training, and strong military-family connections.
- Partnership Initiatives: The school liaison also strives to increase educational opportunities through partnerships, such as organizing career panels, parent workshops, installation tours for schools, educators and students, and installation welcome events for new families.
Learn more about the Edwards School Liaison Program here.
STARBASE

L: STARBASE students from Tehachapi Unified School District check out F-35 Lightnings. (10.7.24). R: STARBASE students tour the Pratt and Whitney propulsion lab during the 2024 to 2025 school year.

L: Brig Gen. Wickert: 412th Test Wing commander Brig. Gen. Doug Wickert speaks to students about the import influence of STEM on his career. (10.1.24). R: STARBASE students get up close and personal with F-22 Raptors during a tour during the fall 2024 semester.
STARBASE is a DOD program that provides on-base STEM education and enrichment to students from eight surrounding school districts, covering more than 5,200 hundred square miles across the Antelope Valley. STARBASE provides community activities, unique aerospace-focused field trips, clubs, and five-day hands-on STEM camps throughout the year.
“All fifth-grade students in the Muroc School District attend STARBASE for STEM exposure and real-life interaction with military personnel,” said Dr. Samantha Duchscherer, chief of STEM Integration and T3 for the 412th Test Wing. “It targets students in a crucial developmental time in terms of future career trajectory.”
STARBASE has roughly 1,200 students across the Antelope Valley that attend every year. Facility upgrades within the past year include new laptops, iPads, classroom furniture and projectors. The program recently received approval to double its student capacity during the next school year, in addition to expanding beyond its traditional fifth grade curriculum to further impact student enrichment.
Since inception, the program continues to receive positive feedback regarding increased community events such as STEM fairs, early educational fairs and summer welcome events for families relocating to Edwards. In 2024, STARBASE Edwards also began a new partnership with Southern Kern Unified School District, expanding beyond the Antelope Valley with an additional 4,000 current students.
Learn more about STARBASE Edwards here.
The 412th Test Wing also independently works with the Department of the Air Force’s Air and Space STEM Outreach office to facilitate hands-on STEM experiences across the Southern California community, from Fresno to Long Beach. The recent recipient of a $225 thousand grant, the office’s additional programing allows further impact that boosts the current and future potential of elementary and middle school students.