ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Airmen from the 492nd Fighter Generation Squadron, or 492nd FGS, with the 48th Fighter Wing at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, recently participated in a depot cross-training program at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, or WR-ALC, at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.
The initiative, led by the 561st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, or 561st AMXS, at the WR-ALC, offered Airmen of the 492nd FGS a unique opportunity to work alongside depot-level maintainers, ultimately enhancing Air Force readiness.
"The depot cross training has been an introduction to the maintenance flow of the 561st AMXS and their depot level organization," said Master Sgt. David Bastidas, 492nd FGS support section chief. "We were introduced to the seven-gate maintenance program and how each F-15E aircraft is cycled through each phase of the modification and repair process. Each day we got involved with the day-to-day operations and worked with the maintainers on tasks that we rarely get to do back at home station."
According to Joel Rich, 561st AMXS deputy director, the program addresses a gap in experience for younger military personnel.
"There is a very young military work force that does not get the opportunity to see the aircraft disassembled and reassembled the way we do at depot, so it is a great opportunity for those Airmen to come to Robins and get repetitive hands-on training on systems that they normally would not get to work on,” he said. “The 561st AMXS plays a crucial role in maintaining the F-15E fleet, planning and executing maintenance, repair, testing, inspection, and modifications.”
The 561st AMXS is the depot for the F-15 aircraft fleet, responsible for performing programmed depot maintenance and implementing the latest modifications to keep the aircraft up to date and ready to support the Air Force mission.
"This is great for cross training,” Rich said, “because we perform the same processes over and over. This allows Airmen coming from RAF Lakenheath a chance to really get some hands-on training in a repetitive nature to become more familiar with it."
The cross-training program originated from an inquiry from the 492nd FGS commander, seeking to revive a program allowing dedicated and assistant crew chiefs an opportunity to inspect their aircraft at the depot. The invitation was extended to all F-15 specialties.
"Our unit was the first to respond and sent two F-15 aircraft avionics technicians, one crew chief and a section chief to learn the Planned/Scheduled Depot Level Maintenance process," Bastidas said.
Staff Sgt. Kaleb Harold, 492nd FGS dedicated crew chief, said this training provides a unique perspective for the 492nd FGS Airmen, allowing them to see fully inducted aircraft and perform maintenance in areas not possible at their home station.
"Coming out here and seeing the jets completely stripped and working side by side with the maintainers is an amazing opportunity that I believe will ultimately benefit us by showing a bigger picture and help us grasp more in-depth knowledge of the aircraft," said Harold. "Being out here and sharing knowledge and different ways to approach tasks has the potential to increase skills and effectiveness on both sides."
Bastidas said he would like to see this type of training grow beyond the 492nd FGS.
"We’re hoping to ignite this cross-training program across the Air Force to express an interest from our maintainers to learn more and see the bigger picture," he said.
Rich echoed that sentiment, stating he would love for more units to take advantage of this program; however he understands many units are deployed down range, which makes it tougher to give up their valuable Airmen.
“The program began during last year’s commanders’ conference that was hosted at Robins,” he said. “Several commanders expressed their concerns about their young workforce and the inability for them to perform certain tasks with confidence since they do not perform them very often. The 561st offered the invitation to come to Robins for a two-week minimum period to work hand in hand with our workforce to enable them to see and experience the tasks that we do every day.”
Bastidas praised the civilian team at Robins AFB, noting their high level of maintenance expertise and teamwork. His team expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside the 561st AMXS maintainers.
Col. Joshua De Paul, 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group commander said the 402nd AMXG team is singularly focused on generating airpower for the warfighter and increasing inoperability with our customers.
“This effort enhanced integration between the depot and the field and compliments our team spirit and reverse team spirit initiatives,” he said. “We were honored to partner with the 48th Fighter Wing Maintenance Group team in this endeavor.”