WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The 445th Maintenance Group conducted mass training during the Feb. 9, 2020 unit training assembly at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
The MXG, comprised of both the 445th Maintenance and 445th Aircraft Maintenance Squadrons, is responsible for maintaining the operational capability of the nine C-17 Globemaster III aircraft belonging to the wing.
With that level of responsibility and the time commitments that accompany it, Airmen in the maintenance career fields may have difficulty finding time to focus on their own personal training and development.
To circumvent this possibility, the 445th MXG conducts annual mass training events to ensure that Airmen are up to date on their required education and safety standards.
“With this training, we accomplish in a day what would take significantly longer if we didn’t consolidate,” said Master Sgt. Lisa Quinn, the 445th MXG group training manager.
“Obviously there will be work specific training and other training requirements for each individual, but we are able to use mass training to condense large quantities of the information that everyone needs and distribute it in an effective manner.”
Not only does mass training allow Airmen to check their own developmental boxes but it also seems to assist the development of Airmen as a group. The amount of resources and time this process saves is undeniable.
“We conduct this mass training because it eliminates the need to sit all of these Airmen behind a computer,” said Quinn “We save countless hours by conducting training in this way. There are approximately 400 Airmen in the group who need this training, so getting them all together at once streamlines the process and maximizes our efficiency.”
In addition to the resource management aspect and the developmental aspect of mass training, there is also a positive byproduct of activities that bring large groups of Airmen together. Mass training creates an environment that encourages teamwork and communication.
“You see groups of shops working together and communicating,” said Tech. Sgt. Austin Schutte, a unit training manager with the 445th Operations Group. Schutte helped the MXG form their lesson plans and introduced several lessons during the event.
“I believe that this is a morale builder. It networks the shops and gets Airmen who are spread out to get together. It’s a training event that doubles as a team building event,” Schutte said.