First stateside loadmaster training course saves AF money

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joel Mease
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Under continued budget cuts the Airmen of the 317th Maintenance and Operations Support Squadrons continue to find ways to remain mission ready, ensuring 45 Airmen stayed certified to keep C-130s in the air and mission capable.

Normally, the airlift group sends noncommissioned and senior noncommissioned officers to the Maintenance Supervision and Production course at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. This course prepares the leadership echelon with production management and maintenance supervision fundamentals required to manage a flightline.

Despite strained resources Tech. Sgt. Bradley Stewart's a 317th Maintenance Squadron Airmen, created the first-ever stateside MSPC Mobile Training Team (MTT). As a result, six additional MTT courses have since been scheduled throughout fiscal year 2013, saving TDY and instructor costs.

"It just made more sense for the 317th AG to bring the Subject Matter Expert instructors here instead of sending 25 students TDY (to McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst) for training, saving nearly $50,000" said Stewart. "Hosting the course on station also decreased the course length by two full days; thus saving lost man-hours for travel days those same 25 Airmen would have taken."

Likewise, sending two instructors from the Joint Airdrop Inspector course here saved the Air Force $35,000.

The course is absolutely critical, because it allows the 20 loadmasters to become qualified to inspect and certify airdrop loads to ensure they are rigged properly, Senior Airman Dustin Rice, 317th Operations Support Squadron.

Keeping the 20 students here had an added benefit.

"Having in-house training was more beneficial because everyone in attendance is already a loadmaster," Rice said. "This allows the training to get done faster, because now we don't have to go over all airdrop equipment basic knowledge.

"Staying here also allowed the training tailored to the loads and equipment we actually see on a day-to-day basis."

The revised training allowed Airmen to spend time at home after a decade of non-stop contingency support around the world.