TINKER AFB, Okla. -- Two civilian fellows from the Air Force Sustainment Center recently presented their capstone projects to the AFSC executive director, marking the successful culmination of their immersive tours in the highly competitive Training with Industry Program.
The TWI Program is a force development initiative designed as a selective, non-degree developmental assignment. By placing civilian employees in industry environments related to their career fields, the program provides immersive, hands-on experience. Fellows gain advanced managerial skills, technical expertise, and exposure to industry’s best practices. This engagement with industry partners equips employees to return to AFSC with innovative ideas, new perspectives, and actionable insights to strengthen Air Force processes and mission effectiveness.
The fellows presenting their projects included Roy Jenkins, a master scheduler with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, and Sherry Tircuit, a cyber security engineer with the 76th Software Engineering Group, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The participants highlighted their tour experiences, lessons learned, and the specific industry assignments they tackled while placed in the private sector.
During their capstone presentations, the participants shared insights into how the Air Force can leverage their private-sector experiences to improve processes both within their specific organizations and across the broader Air Force enterprise.
“Participation shapes the next generation of future leaders and changemakers, building a highly skilled, modern civilian workforce,” said Loretta Fort, TWI program manager for AFSC. “By introducing private-sector best practices, the program challenges legacy methodologies and directly reframes daily operations and processes.”
One of the three capstone projects was presented posthumously on behalf of Dwenda Wilson-Hutter, a computer scientist with the 309th Software Engineering Squadron, who completed her TWI experience with Amazon. Wilson-Hutter lost her battle with cancer before she had the opportunity to brief her capstone.
To honor her memory and her hard work, several of her family members traveled from Idaho, Louisiana, and Arkansas to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for the occasion. Wilson-Hutter’s previous supervisors, Nicholas Johnson and Moran Maxwell, alongside her mentor and coach Paul Nakayu, delivered the capstone presentation.
The presentation showed the contributions Wilson-Hutter made and the significant impact she had on both Amazon and the Air Force. Following her time with the program, she spearheaded the implementation of critical User Experience design tools and skills as part of the Sentinel Pathfinders team.
Her philosophy was simple. In her own words, she believed that "for any given task you need a suitable toolset." Her forward-thinking approach and dedication to equipping her team with the right tools have left a legacy of efficiency and innovation.
After the meeting, a commemorative coin was presented to Wilson-Hutter’s nephew by Jared Dalpias, 309 SWEG deputy director, as a small token of gratitude the organization holds for her service, spirit, and enduring contributions.
As AFSC continues to prioritize modernization, the TWI program connects military sustainment operations with industry-leading innovation, while also enriching the work force experience.
“Ultimately, sharing these success stories demonstrates a deep investment in high-performer career development, which boosts morale and retains specialized technical talent across the enterprise.”