Keesler Airmen back in school at Sheppard

  • Published
  • By John Ingle
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
Sheppard has a new electronic principles course to train Airmen from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

It took Sheppard two weeks to have the course ready for instruction, said Master Sgt. Rosa Marlin, 365th Training Squadron avionics test equipment flight chief. It usually takes six months to a year for a new course to begin.

"I'm impressed by everybody across the board," Sergeant Martin, a 20-year veteran, said. "It was a challenge and (the instructors) took it on and love it. It's happening."

With the training pipeline at a virtual standstill for projected Keesler Airmen, the Air Force needed a way to continue training. Since Sheppard is a follow-on assignment for electronic principles students from Keesler, it seemed like a natural fit to have the training stand up here to get the student pipeline moving again, she said.

When Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast Aug. 29, it displaced thousands of Keesler Airmen. About 1,000 evacuated to Sheppard. Now, most of them have returned to Keesler or to their Reserve or Air National Guard base.

"When the storm hit, (training courses) were shut off and put on hold," Sergeant Marlin said.

About 130 Airmen began the 27-day theory-based course. The troops were in various stages of their training.

James Angell, the unit’s training support flight chief, said some students were far enough into a block of training to advance to the next block.

"It was a good buy for the Air Force," Mr. Angell said about new course.

Airmen from basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas, are also at Sheppard to begin the course. More than 100 arrived Sept. 26 from the South Texas base and began training Oct. 3.

More Airmen will arrive on a weekly basis.

Sergeant Marlin said 40 students -- on day and night shifts -- go through the seven-block course.

Staff Sgt. James Barnett, a first-time instructor, said the Airmen were ready to get back into the classroom. And it was almost like he was going back to school, too, he said.

"It kind of turns us all into students because we (instructors) have to go home at night and learn how to teach it," he said.

To prepare, Sergeant Barnett used Tech. Sgt. Michael Wheeler, a three-year veteran instructor at the squadron, as a student. The two interacted like instructor and student would to prepare the new instructor for his first class.

Airman 1st Class Robert Davis said he and his fellow Airmen-in-training are glad to be able to begin their schooling again.

"When we were in (student awaiting training) status, we pretty much did details," said Airman Davis, who is from Meridian, Miss., and assigned to the 186th Airborne Refueling Wing at Key Field there. "We felt idle. We were ready to get back to training."

Now in block three of electronic principles training, Airman Davis said he had to refresh a little after not looking at materials for about a month. But it's coming back to him.

"I passed my block two test, so that's a good thing," he said. "Evidently I'm not too rusty."

Sergeant Marlin said she doesn't know what the future holds for the Keesler course. But for now, she and other squadron members are dedicated to providing the training needed to feed the training pipeline.