982nd TRG changes command

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Vernon Cunningham
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The 982nd Training Group welcomed its new commander, Col. Peter Markle, Aug. 6 during a change of command ceremony in Hangar 1360.

The 982nd TRG mission is to provide quality hands-on aircraft, munitions and communications-electronics maintenance training to meet the evolving needs of its primary customer, the first line supervisor.

Colonel Markle said he looks forward to working with the elite technicians that make up the 982nd TRG.

"It's awesome getting to work with people of this caliber," said the colonel. "These are people who are handpicked to train others because they are the best in their technical career fields."

He said the group has a proud heritage dating back to 1939, when the commander of the Army Air Forces Technical Training, Maj. Gen. Walter Weaver, convened a conference with Lockheed representatives to address gaps in sustaining the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

"(General Weaver) realized the Army Air Corps success would depend on the adequacy of its aircraft maintenance," Colonel Markle said. "His vision was to establish an elite unit of personnel that would train aircraft mechanics."

He said each class is taught with the intent to create maintainers that are even better than the instructors. Some of these students will become instructors and teach with that same goal in mind, he said.

The commander described how the constantly improving aircraft maintenance training has impacted the flying mission.

"Since Operation Desert Storm, the Air Force has been flying an average of 2.2 million flying hours a year, without pause," the colonel said. "But, we have been doing this with almost one-third fewer aircraft that are an average of 24 years old. In other words, we have been making the mission with fewer and older resources; and we have achieved this through aircraft maintainers who are better trained (by the 982nd TRG instructors)."

Colonel Markle commissioned in 1988 and has held positions in acquisitions; in aircraft maintenance; and at Headquarters Air Force, Pentagon. The colonel has also commanded maintenance squadrons on two separate occasions.

The colonel is responsible for maintenance training which reaches 46 worldwide locations, including Europe, Alaska and the Pacific Theater.

The 982nd TRG has more than 1,200 people assigned within two training squadrons and one maintenance squadron. The group's annual student production exceeds 30,000 graduates.

The colonel joined Team Sheppard following a two-year tenure as the deputy to the associate director for research and development at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency at Fort Belvoir, Va.