“It was incredibly stressful,” said Maj. Alex Brittain, 446th Airlift Wing commander’s executive officer and career maintenance officer. “The attrition rate was very high. Only 17 out of the 25 students in my class graduated.”
Brittain recently graduated from the Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Operations School. The course is the premiere institution for graduate-level education in combat logistics, equivalent to the prestigious U.S. Air Force Weapons School. AMMOS graduates are specialized tactical doctrine experts for maintenance and munitions.
Brittain explained how competitive the course was just to get into, only about 40-50 students are accepted into the course per year. She applied multiple times.
On top of that, Reservists are only authorized one slot per course, said Col. Joseph Vanoni, 446th AW commander. Being selected is the start, the course has a 20 percent attrition rate, so there is no guarantee everyone who gets in will graduate.
“I seek out things that are difficult,” she explained. “It gives you this chance to connect and learn from others.”
The course provided an added strategic benefit in the Joint Base Lewis-McChord-based officer attending this elite school, as JBLM is the military’s premiere power projection platform into the Pacific.
In any future conflict, particularly in the Pacific, the Air Force must project airpower across vast distances, from island chains to dispersed, potentially austere, operating locations, explained Lt. Col. Steven Ortner, AMMOS commandant. The success of that effort depends on logistics: moving Airmen, fuel, weapons and aircraft quickly and safely in contested domains. To meet these demands, AMMOS’s mission focus is to ensure tomorrow’s logisticians can sustain the fight in contested environments.
“We were constantly studying,” Brittain emphasized. “We were graded on everything. We had to know the material in-depth.”
The maintenance officer described the course as a fire hose of information. Through numerous daily lessons, practical exams, written tests, and team dynamics, Brittain and her team bonded and stayed on their toes.
“At one point or another, everyone in the class had to write a letter explaining why they want to still be here to stay in,” she said.
For her, she had a clear mission.
“I like helping people,” she emphasized. “I wanted to learn from this course and bring that knowledge back. I want to make other’s lives easier.”
AMMOS graduates are equipped to identify and mitigate sortie production shortfalls, pre-position critical assets~~,~~and regenerate combat capability in contested environments. Through this expansion, they are directly supporting the Air Force’s ability to fight and win against a peer adversary.
As the Air Force pivots to the Indo-Pacific, AMMOS graduates are becoming key enablers in the Air Force Generation model. Their ability to lead at tactical and operational levels ensures airpower can be sustained even when traditional supply lines are cut or degraded.
“The next fight won’t be fought from a single location,” said Ortner. “Our graduates will be leading the teams who move the mission forward.”
Vanoni emphasized how this course further established Brittain as a leader.
“Those who go through this become the expert in their area of expertise,” he stated. “They are better leaders, briefers and Airmen because they had to handle the stress and strain of this course. People will see the patch on her shoulder and immediately turn to her.”
Brittain encourage others to go out for and apply for these types of opportunities and to constantly look for chances to grow.
“Always apply,” she said. “The worst that can be said is no. Ask others to teach you. Learn from those around you.”