AFSO21 help properly train Airmen in 20th MXG

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Andrew Kemna
  • 20th Maintenance Group
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  In one week, 12 Airman assigned to the 20th Maintenance Group underwent a scrutinizing review process on the training of assigned maintainers. As part of the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century program, a value stream analysis was performed to improve the training processes affecting aircraft availability.

Each Airman involved was selected from a different level of the training spectrum and placed in one room to research the training process. In particular the period of time it takes to produce fully qualified, trained Airmen from their time of arrival to Shaw.

The team quickly assessed the training scope was beyond what could be tackled in a week and chose three specific processes to target: in-processing, on-the-job training and the career development courses. The focus could then be directed towards every step of each process to improve the flow, quality and timeliness of training.

The team identified 20 unnecessary, or redundant, steps in these three processes. These extra steps were causing the average maintainer to remain in upgrade training an additional 67 days before attaining qualification.

As the team delved into every step involved in these processes, a recurring theme surfaced. Supervisors have lost focus on their responsibilities for the training of Airmen.
According to the team, they discovered that time consuming steps were added to replace supervisor accountability, which didn't add value to the individuals' training. By simply eliminating the excessive reviews and approvals previously implemented to order an individual's CDC end-of-course exam, they will free up over 2,000 man hours and save $83,470 in an average year as a result.

This, and other recommended improvements, now being implemented across the group will produce better trained Airmen in a more effective, cost efficient and timely manner while encouraging better supervisor involvement in the training of their Airmen.
MSgt. Deborah Comstock, 20th Maintenance Operation Squadron Training Management Section Chief, guided the team in reaching its goal as the VSA Team Lead.

"The AFSO21 program is an outstanding set of tools and techniques used to improve the way we do things by eliminating wastes and costs that do not add value to the mission," MSgt. Comstock said, "The recent AFSO21 event on Trained Airmen allowed us to break down the process we use to train Airmen into smaller increments to allow for streamline improvements. The AFSO21 program allowed us to change our upgrade training process and ultimately increase aircraft availability."

One thing is certain , Shaw Airmen have come together to improve the processes producing the quality trained Airmen needed for Team Shaw's fighting force to meet "any challenge, anytime, anywhere."