Photo By Staff Sgt. Danielle Sukhlall | U.S. Air Force Airman Ariana Colon-Fuentes, a 354th Maintenance Squadron Low...... read more read more
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EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- The 372nd Training Squadron, Detachment 25, hit its one-year anniversary being the first F-35A Lightning II field training detachment (FTD) in the Pacific Air Forces command and since its first F-35A Egress and Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance courses were taught at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Feb. 5, 2021.
Since its opening, the FTD has instructed approximately 1,500 Airmen. Students include AGE, ammo, avionics, crew chiefs, egress, fuels, low observables and weapons Airmen attached to the 355th and 356th Fighter Squadrons, home of Eielson’s F-35As.
Instructors from various maintenance career fields share their expertise through in-depth, hands-on training. Each student's ability to access specialized training on daily tasks, while working directly on fifth generation aircraft, makes this FTD unique.
“[Airmen train] on simulated aircraft parts before [they] go out into the real world,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Sara Gould, a 372nd TRS F-35 Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance instructor. “[Once trained] Airmen should be [able to] carry out their day-to-day duties with less supervision and higher precision.”
The FTD also provides legacy training to Airmen assigned to the 354th Maintenance Group who support the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
“[Airmen] learn a variation of skills that help them complete their daily goals,” said Tech. Sgt. Kevin McNatt, the 372nd TRS, Det. 25, production supervisor. “It ranges from basic skills that new airmen would need to know, all the way up to advanced troubleshooting skills that a seasoned technician could learn from.”
Eielson’s sole maintenance training FTD is accelerating excellence, while adapting to high tempos due to the influx of Airmen scheduled to move to the Last Frontier.
“It is important to keep our maintainers proficient in their jobs and continue their careers,” said Tech. Sgt. Jarrod Decker, the 372nd TRS, Det. 25, instructor supervisor. “A more relaxed and less distracting environment can help [Airmen] learn tasks faster and gain a better understanding [of their jobs.]
The FTD’s first anniversary is a trailblazer for the future of the 354th Fighter Wing’s preparedness to execute a combat-coded mission and marks a major milestone for its future training.
“As Eielson grows with the F-35 mission, we’re not only expanding our reach across the base, but to the [branch] as a whole,” Decker says. “We’re here to teach, mentor and inspire the next generation of Airmen who will be the future of our Air Force.”
| Date Taken: | 02.03.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.11.2021 13:04 |
| Story ID: | 388888 |
| Location: | ALASKA, US |
| Web Views: | 223 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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