Major General Ronald E. Keys, the first HQ AFDC commander, set up the new center at Maxwell AFB, Alabama in 1997.

The center participates in Air Force and other Services' joint wargames and key exercises to ensure scenarios provide a realistic depiction of the uses and impact of airpower.

The commander reports directly to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force for matters pertaining to doctrine.

Wargaming is used at Air University (AU) as a means of applying and reinforcing strategic, operational and tactical doctrine-based warfighting principles taught in officer and enlisted PME programs.

The Joint Integration Directorate supports Army doctrine development; provides Air Force support to TRADOC exercises, experiments, and wargames; and plans, prepares and presents Air Force instruction to Army personnel in basic qualification courses.

It publishes faculty and student research, textbooks, other materials relevant to the Air University program, school-selected student papers, faculty research efforts, textbooks, curriculum-related materials, the Air University Catalog, and other administrative documents that directly support AU's program of professional military education (PME).

AU Press sponsors the Fairchild Papers, selected essays having research value to the Air Force.

Additionally, the Press publishes the distinguished Strategic Studies Quarterly journal, which focuses on issues related to national and international security.