On-site trainers saving time, money

  • Published
  • By Lanorris Askew
  • Warner Robins Air Logistics Center Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) --  Seven Air Education and Training Command instructors will bring a Robins initiative to life soon that not only saves the government thousands of dollars, it allows 3,000 additional depot technicians to be trained annually.

The program, also being implemented at Air Force Materiel Command air logistics centers at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., will see AETC instructors teaching and certifying 19 new civilian instructors who will join existing field training detachments. The new instructors will then train thousands of depot maintenance technicians needed to bolster the depot maintenance career field, according to Master Sgt. Rich VanBrunt, Field Training Detachment 6 chief here.

Officials estimate that nearly 21,500 maintenance people work within AFMC, along with 750 contractor organizations providing more than $6 billion of depot maintenance goods and services annually. The air logistics centers at Tinker, Hill, and here own and operate more than $7.3 billion in facilities and equipment.

The three ALCs have invested more than $1 million to help train the new instructors. VanBrunt said Robins' initial investment of $750,000 has gone to fund construction on a six-classroom addition and equipment and furniture.

According to AETC and AFMC officials, the depot-maintenance work force is facing potentially severe shortages because of an aging corps of technicians. Through this in-house instructor program, Air Force officials hope to start training about 4,000 depot technicians annually.

Previously, AFMC's three logistics centers were able to schedule training for about 1,000 technicians per year. Now, with dedicated civilian instructors, the demand for increased training can be met, according to VanBrunt.

He said a major benefit of having the instructors in-house is cost savings. Warner Robins ALC spends more than $100,000 each year to send students on temporary duty and to bring AETC instructors here.

"We will still continue sending students TDY or bringing an instructor in to teach those required AETC courses that had a minimal number of training requirements that did not justify hiring an instructor," Van Brunt said. "However, not having to send the bulk of our people TDY to receive this training was the driving force behind standing up this program."

Creating a civilian instructor work force at Robins was the idea of retired Senior Master Sgt. Dave Burger, the former detachment chief.

"His vision is to turn Detachment 6 into a mega maintenance training detachment for all Robins weapon systems," said VanBrunt. "I'm happy to say that after four years in the making, Burger's vision has finally come to fruition. "

VanBrunt said the newly certified instructors will be conducting courses on multiple aircraft systems such as crew chief transition, hydraulics, electro-environmental, landing gear and fuel systems on the C-5 Galaxy, C-130 Hercules and F-15 Eagle aircraft. (Courtesy of AFMC News Service)