Maintenance Group masters mega training

  • Published
  • By Capt. Caroline Wellman
  • 445th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
2/23/2009 --  Approximately 500 members of the 445th Maintenance Group gathered during both February unit training assemblies for group-wide training in hangars 4015 and 4016. 

The mega training event was scheduled to decrease the unit's roster of individuals still needing to complete ancillary and computer based training modules and maximize time Airmen have to work on aircraft, said Capt. Nathan Garcia, 445th Maintenance Group executive officer and organizer of the two-day training event. 

Because maintainers are truly in a hands-on career field, with most time each drill weekend spent actually addressing maintenance issues on the wing's fleet of C-5 Galaxies, time for Airmen to complete computer based training and other ancillary training requirements is limited, Capt. Garcia explained. 

Access to a computer can also sometimes be a problem. Each section, made up of anywhere from six to 50 people and split over the two drill weekends, generally has access to only one to four computers per section, said Chief Master Sgt. Mark Bales, the 445th Maintenance Squadron superintendant. 

The limitations placed on the group by the time and computer access constraints are not unique to the 445th's maintenance personnel. Neither is the importance of job proficiency, gained by time working on actual aircraft. Perhaps no one understands how to balance these requirements better than Col. Anna Schulte, 445th Maintenance Group commander, who instituted a similar "mass training weekend" while at Youngstown Air Reserve Station. She decided to try a similar approach to ancillary training for her unit's Airmen here. 

"This is a proactive effort. By not scheduling flying for the February
(Unit Training Assemblies), we're able to use these UTAs to bring the group together to knock out the big courses," she said. In addition to limiting flying for the weekends, the group also limited drill reschedules and other potential interruptions. 

The group training concept also has other benefits, said Maj. Paula Fiepke, 445th Maintenance Squadron executive officer. The mass gathering also facilitates interaction between unit personnel, which helps with mentorship, morale and unit cohesion. 

The idea of an entire day of training is not appealing, the major admits, but most people are happy that most training requirements will be completed by the end of the weekend. It hasn't been all bad, though, if you talk to the group's members, especially for the self aid and buddy care training. 

"I've learned some things (from the different instructions) today that I didn't get from the computer," said Senior Master Sgt. William Phipps. "The hands-on training is a lot better than sitting in front of a computer."