The U.S. Air Force remained opposed to creating a C.P.E. site until 1990 when Chaplain Colonel John Mann, Director of Pastoral Care at Wilford Hall U.S.A.F. Medical Center, and Chaplain [LTC] James C. Berbiglia, retired Army chaplain and C.P.E. Supervisor, cooperated in persuading the Air Force Chief of Chaplains to allow a C.P.E. center to be initiated in San Antonio, Texas.

The Wilford Hall Medical Center CPE Center began under the umbrella of the Baptist Memorial Hospital System with the gracious permission of Chaplain [COL] Gene Allen [USA, Ret.], Director of Pastoral Care. In only one year the Air Force Center was accredited without notation. Fifty Air Force Chaplains have been graduated from the unique one year residency and many have enrolled concurrently in the Doctor of Ministry Degree Program at Oblate School of Theology, receiving credit for four of the six required courses as residents in the CPE program.

Dr. Wayne Oates trained both Chaplain Gene Allen and Chaplain Jim Berbiglia, assisted in creating the Fort Knox CPE Center in which both chaplains served, and became the "Grandfather of Air Force CPE" when Chaplain Berbiglia initiated the first CPE class in 1990.