Det. 9 trains maintainers on rescue, fighter airframes

by Senior Airman Brigitte N. Brantley
23rd Wing Public Affairs

8/26/2011 - MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Equipped with aircraft engines, A-10 cockpit simulators, and HH-60 rescue hoists, the field training detachment here provides maintenance Airmen with the tools and training they need to become adept at their jobs.

The 372nd Training Squadron, Det. 9, has 18 instructors who teach 64 different courses on everything from A-10 avionics to C-130 cargo rails.

"Our job is to work with the 23rd Maintenance Group and see who needs training in what areas," said Master Sgt. John Kimpan, Det. 9 chief. "We provide 12 different specialties on all three of Moody's airframes. We want to make sure the Airmen working on them are prepared for their jobs."

Moody is home to the A-10C Thunderbolt II, HH-60G Pave Hawk and HC-130P Combat King. Many of the newer Airmen arriving here have general training on their particular aircraft, but the classes they take through the detachment provide them with knowledge that is more specific.

"I've been working on the same engine for 10 out of the 12 years I've been in the Air Force," said Staff Sgt. Dallas Morris, Det. 9 A-10 propulsion instructor. "I wanted to become an instructor so that I could both keep my job knowledge and pass it on to the new Airmen."

The class length ranges from four to 21 days, and class size ranges from just two students to 10. The smaller class size helps the instructors focus more on each student.

"We teach so many classes here and have so much to teach the students," said Morris. "We want to pass on our passion and knowledge so they become more proficient on the flight line and can be better at their jobs. A lot happens on the flight line and in the back shop, and the classes we teach gives the Airmen a closer look at some of those operations."

Instructors at the detachment are chosen for their four-year assignment through a process that includes a face-to-face interview with a detachment chief.

"We don't want an instructor who is only here to get off the flight line," said Kimpan. "We want them here for the right reasons. When I interview someone, I look for a good personality, initiative and how they communicate. They should have a true desire to teach."

The detachment belongs to the 82nd Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. They have a stated mission of "Enhance the combat capability of our customers by anticipating and exceeding their evolving needs for aircraft maintenance training, support training, and technical support."



U.S. Air Force Airman Joshua Fennimore, 23rd Component Maintenance Squadron, rebuilds an A-10C Thunderbolt II engine at the 372nd Training Squadron, during a TF-34 Intermediate Maintenance Course, Aug. 23, 2011. The course gave Fennimore and fellow classmates the knowledge required to take apart and rebuild engines for the A-10 aircraft stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia))

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