About McMillan

McMillan Study Guides has enjoyed more than 36 years as the premier publisher of self-study materials for US Air Force members. Each year, our guides help thousands of NCOs study for their Promotion Fitness Exams, Skills Knowledge Tests and upgrade training. Senior NCOs use our guides to study for their US Air Force Supervisory Exams.

With every product we sell, we honor our original promises to our customers: to provide premium quality study guides, offer friendly customer care and do our part in making the world a better place.

About Us

Headquartered in San Luis Obispo, CA, our small family-owned business has been dedicated to helping Airmen achieve promotion since 1988. We are the worldwide leader in our field, providing an unmatched variety of study tools that fit every learning style, including books, audio downloads, online tests, mobile apps and software.

We created our first Air Force promotion study guide, a boxed set of flashcards, in 1988. Our success quickly multiplied by word-of-mouth as our customers outscored their peers to earn their next rank.

In 1993, customer demand led base stores to carry our products. Today, we are the only promotion study guide available in more than 100 Exchange stores worldwide.

Five years later, PDG GOLD (now known as AFH 1 GOLD) set the standard for software promotion guides. This best-seller incorporates McMillan’s hallmark 3-Step Study System — ReviewNotes, Single-Answer Study Questions and Multiple-Choice Quiz Questions — with our popular arcade of study games, making studying interactive, motivational and fun.

In 2012, PDG Advisor (now known as AFH 1 Advisor Plus) revolutionized how Airmen study for promotion. AFH 1 Advisor combines the Military Knowledge and Testing System (MKTS) survey with a personalized study plan for the individual user. Advisor Plus is the first of its kind to boast mobile compatibility and rank-specific design.

The following year, we gave Airmen a way to study their CDCs on the go. CDC Advisor is the first and only online CDC study guide designed for computers and mobile devices. Users create a custom study plan that tracks their progress and compares their scores against their peers’ — all on their computer, tablet or smartphone.

In the 2024 cycle, we released an innovative Situational Judgment Test (SJT) Guide for PFE. Utilizing our revolutionary online study program, Advisor Plus+, and over 30 years of Air Force study guide experience, we created the SJT Guide to help Airmen succeed on the situational judgment portion of the PFE.

Today, our outstanding team remains committed to helping Airmen master the AFH 1 and earn that next stripe. Let us prove what our customers know already — that our guides work!

Our Values

These five key words represent our core values.

Trust — For more than 36 years, thousands of NCOs and SNCOs have attributed their success to our study guides. Read their testimonials to find out why our customers trust us with their careers.

Excellence — We provide the absolute best study guides for our country’s Airmen, beginning with the most accurate and useful information, continuing through superior product design and production, and capped by the best customer service found anywhere.

Service — We serve those who serve, both in our local and military communities. That’s why we give generously to organizations and causes that make a positive, sustainable impact in the world.

Innovation — As technology advances, we adapt. Our customers know they can depend on versatile, up-to-date study guides that keep pace with the rest of the world.

Experience — We’ve been open to customer feedback since we released our first box of flashcards in 1988 — and all of those great suggestions make for great study guides. Rely on our skill and expertise to provide the features you want and the high-quality guides you deserve.