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  • New life for restored F-35 jet leads to valuable emergency training

    The 388th Maintenance Group recently hosted a first of its kind, F-35 crash recovery course here, using a newly-retired, now reassembled F-35A Lightning II. The F-35 Joint Program Office’s five-day Crash Damaged or Disabled Aircraft Recovery course included 29 maintainers from across the F-35

  • Lightning Technician Program Airmen Complete Validation Exercise

    The 388th Maintenance Group completed a validation and verification exercise of its Lightning Technician Program last week. The Lightning Technician Program (LTP) is a section within the 421st Fighter Generation Squadron that is comprised of 48 multi-capable Airmen from five different AFSCs. LTP

  • F-35A maintainers at Hill training for more combat flexibility

    As the first active-duty, combat-coded F-35A unit in the Air Force with multiple European, Pacific and Middle East deployments under its belt, the 388th Fighter Wing, from Hill Air Force Base, is taking that experience and refining training processes to create more multi-capable Airmen who can

  • 388th Maintenance Group reorganizes, stands up four new squadrons

    The 388th Maintenance Group held a joint ceremony here, provisionally standing up four new squadrons as part of a wing-wide reorganization effort aimed to streamline administrative and operational control over hundreds of maintainers and their mission, making them more agile and responsive as they

  • Course developed at Hill AFB speeds training for new F-35 crew chiefs

    Crew chiefs newly-assigned to the F-35 have direct access to professional development thanks to a course recently created at Hill Air Force Base, which may be implemented throughout the Air Force. The first class of Airmen graduated Friday from the F-35 Crew Chief Upgrade Training course, which was

  • F-35A crew swap provides flexibility for training, combat

    Maintainers and pilots in the 388th Fighter Wing recently completed the first operational rapid crew swap exercise with the F-35A Lightning II.Other aircraft like bombers, tankers, helicopters, and twin engine fighters have been doing ‘hot crew swaps’ for some time. Until now, it hasn’t been safe to

  • F-35 maintainers at Hill shaping future with BOLT

    After several months, an innovative program in the 388th Fighter Wing is proving it has the potential to deliver combat power more efficiently and may shape how the Air Force determines future requirements to sustain F-35A Lightning II operations. The Blended Operational Lightning Technician program

  • 388th Maintenance Group eying future time, cost savings with 3-D printing

    The 388th Maintenance Group’s Air Force Repair and Enhancement Program shop recently acquired a 3-D printer with the hope of increasing availability and driving down costs for certain F-35 replacement parts. 3-D printing, also called additive manufacturing, uses a computer-controlled machine to form

  • F-35A deployment brings advanced airpower capability to Europe

    This weekend’s deployment of an initial six F-35A Lightning II fighters and several hundred Airmen to Europe demonstrates the aircraft’s readiness to conduct operations with America’s European partners, according to Air Force leaders.The April 15 arrival at Royal Air Force Base Lakenheath, U.K.,