New concept in maintenance training comes to fruition

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jacob Corbin
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) --  Years of hard work and planning came to realization April 7 when the first class of F-22 Raptor maintenance students graduated from the $21 million F-22 Maintenance Training Facility here.

Eight Airmen graduated from the 13-week Aircraft Armament Systems course and became the first pipeline Airmen to leave Sheppard Air Force Base to work on the F-22.

"This is such a historic day for Sheppard AFB and the Air Force," said Brig. Gen. Richard T. Devereaux, the 82nd Training Wing commander, at the graduation ceremony. "When they write the history of Sheppard AFB, this will be a monumental day. We're training Airmen fresh out of (basic military training) to maintain the Air Force's -- and the world's -- premier fighter aircraft."

During the course, Airmen learned basic weapons maintenance, troubleshooting techniques and weapons loading for the next-generation aircraft.

The Airmen in training attended the F-22 armament technical training course in the state-of-the-art facility, which opened in October 2007. Classes began in January with the start of a Raptor crew chief course.

The facility is part of a new concept to have various maintenance career fields -- such as crew chiefs, avionics, munitions and fuels, to name a few -- located in one facility that is airframe-specific. Courses from the 361st, 362nd, 363rd and 365th Training Squadrons will be housed in the new facility, consolidating every specialty related to the F-22 in one building.

"We have really changed how we view training," said Col. Steven Morani, the commander of the 82nd Training Group. "This building is the model for the future of training in the Air Force."

Part of the new concept of training is the use of high-quality, extremely-realistic trainer aircraft.

"Minus the training and safety features, the trainers are 100 percent Raptor," said Tech. Sgt. Lanny Jones, an F-22 armament instructor with the 363rd TRS.

Sergeant Jones and his fellow armament instructor, Staff Sgt. Michael Dvareckas, said the trainers employed in Raptor training are much more advanced than what they used to train for the A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Seven of the newly graduated Airmen will be putting their skills to use at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and the eighth will be stationed at Langley AFB, Va.

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