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Article by Samuel Aundrá Fryer, Training Information Administrator
CORPUS CHRISTI ARMY DEPOT, Texas — The Corpus Christi Army Depot’s Workforce Development Division recently launched a dual‑focused Soldier Training Program, welcoming five Soldiers from the 1-151st Attack Battalion of the South Carolina Army National Guard. As the first cohort of the fiscal year, these Soldiers served as a vital conduit for transferring decades of rotary‑wing maintenance expertise from seasoned depot artisans to the next generation of military maintainers.
Pedro Garcia, Division Chief of Powertrain Production within the Directorate of Propulsion Production, emphasized the significance of the initiative, stating, “These Soldiers demonstrate a strong willingness to learn, which helps strengthen the partnership between the Army National Guard and CCAD.” The depot’s training program provides active‑duty and reserve‑component Soldiers with the same critical Army aviation readiness opportunities.
Aligned with their military occupational specialty series, the Soldiers were integrated across three CCAD directorates: the Directorate of Aircraft Operations, the Directorate of Accessories and Rotor Blades, and the Directorate of Propulsion Production. This inaugural group represented several specialized technical fields, including Aircraft Pneudraulic Repairer (15H), Aircraft Powertrain Repairer (15D), Aircraft Electrician (15F), and Aircraft Structural Repairer (15G).
Specialist Andrew Simpson, an aircraft electrician, reflected on his experience, noting, “I was able to gain valuable experience and learn invaluable knowledge.”
Specialist Rusty Keeney, an aircraft structural repairer, also expanded his technical proficiency by working alongside powertrain artisans on AH‑64 Apache maintenance. Under the guidance of work lead Joshua Lopez and journeymen Arnold Santos and Julian Garcia, Keeney acquired depot‑level maintenance techniques.
Although Keeney primarily performs AH‑64 rotor head maintenance with his home unit, his time at CCAD provided essential exposure to AH‑64 main transmission assembly processes. “I learned a lot about the main transmission for the AH‑64 while I was here,” Keeney stated. “Every question I had, I received answers.”
This hands‑on exchange of expertise directly contributes to what the military defines as Techcraft. Techcraft encompasses the talents and mindset required to leverage modern technology to gain tactical advantages and operational efficiencies. It expands upon traditional concepts of fieldcraft by ensuring warfighters can employ advanced technologies in innovative and effective ways to accomplish their missions.
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 07.28.2026 16:46 |
| Story ID: | 570935 |
| Location: | TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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