Advanced maintenance and munitions officer school graduates 200th student

  • Published
  • By Airman Cynthia A. Haughton
  • Nellis Public Affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. --  The U.S. Air Force Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Officer School celebrated two milestones recently, as they graduated their 20th class and 200th student, April 16.

"It's important to celebrate the school's history and key institutional milestones," said Lt. Col. Matt Powell, U.S. Air Force AMMOS commandant. "Class 10A, our 20th class, was significant in that it produced the 200th graduate ... 200 maintenance officers with a Ph.D. in logistics -- out in the field, leading from the front, fulfilling their graduate roles and expanding combat capability. This is great for our Air Force."

Since its start in 2002, the 15-week advanced warfighting course has provided maintenance and munitions officers with advanced combat logistics training applicable to both home station and deployed operations. AMMOS' primary goal is to make operational wings more effective by producing highly skilled logistics officers that expand combat capability by serving as producers of combat airpower, instructors of their peers and subordinates and advisors to wing and major command leadership.

The course stair-steps students through the six phases of the agile combat support master process: readying the force, preparing the battlespace, positioning the force, employing the force, sustaining the force and recovering the force. Students are instructed on advanced maintenance, munitions and logistics concepts and operations, joint integration, problem solving, self-improvement, and leadership.

The primarily classroom-based course is broken up by a series of off-site trips. Students visit both Air Combat Command and Air Mobility Command headquarters to gain a logistics command perspective; Beale Air Force Base, Calif., for instruction in combat munitions production; and Travis Air Force Base, Calif., to learn about the contingency response wing mission. Students also visit other joint, coalition and corporate agencies to learn about their logistics, maintenance and sustainment processes.

"The off-site visits offer students a chance to interact with leadership at the command and wing levels and see firsthand examples that reinforce the lessons we teach at Nellis," said Maj. Mike McConnell, AMMOS director of operations. "For example, it's one thing to hear about the Tanker Airlift Control Center in a classroom; it adds a whole other level of understanding when you actually go and talk to the people there."

During the second-to-last week of the course, the students complete a mission employment exercise -- an intensive five-day capstone event that tests all of the more than 200 objectives learned during the first 13 weeks of the course. It is administered by the cadre as well as two sitting maintenance group commanders invited to the school specifically for this exercise.

"The mission employment exercise serves as a great confidence boost," said Capt. Kylene Ruth, tactics flight commander and warlord for the exercise. "As a student, you are amazed at how much you mastered during the course, and the opportunity to practice your new skill set with sitting or graduated group commanders is priceless."

To mark the occasion, AMMOS invited back the inaugural class's guest speaker, retired Maj. Gen. Michael A. Collings.

"I'm so very proud of you graduates," the general said. "I'm proud of how this school has evolved and of the vision of where it will go in the future ... congratulations!"

Graduating from the U.S.Air Force AMMOS Class 2010A were:

Capt. John Barry
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz.

Capt. Blair Byrem
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

Capt. Angela Edmondson
Kadena Air Base, Japan

Maj. Bobby Ehasz
Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska

Capt. Jennifer Gurganus
Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea

Capt. Jonathan Izworski
Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas

Capt. Sam Mink
Langley Air Force Base, Va.

Capt. Megan Murtishaw
Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska

Capt. Phillip Olson
Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

Capt. Timothy Plante
Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

Capt. William Wunschel
Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.