AETC awards 982nd MXS Productivity Excellence award Published Nov. 25, 2008 By Airman 1st Class Candy Miller 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Air Education and Training Command chose three members of the 982nd Maintenance Squadron Trainer Development Flight to compete for the 2008 Air Force Productivity Excellence Awards, Small Group Category. The group received the AETC-level award by combining fused deposition modeling technology with 3-D laser scanning, increasing trainer production rates 875 percent. Mitchell Weatherly, chief of trainer development for the 982nd MXS, said they took a computer aided design, put it in the FDM and the machine builds the trainer. This makes building trainers more efficient and more cost effective, he said. With the help of the FDM, the trainer development flight has made models of equipment ranging from explosive ordnance devices to medical equipment, Mr. Weatherly said. The group is also the exclusive trainer provider for several agencies and commands including all RQ-1 and MQ-9 Predator trainers. "The technology enables us to increase production and gives us the ability to produce different trainers that we couldn't have or would have taken longer," he said. Mr. Weatherly said the technology has made the trainer development flight very successful at saving time and money. "Conventional methods are always there and you can never get away from skilled technicians, however, new technology makes the job easier," he said. "It creates a better means to an end." He said the flight's main intent is to help instructors within AETC train their students. To do this he said he asks himself, "Where is training deficient? And what do I need to do to eliminate this training deficiency?" He said allowing students to get hands-on training provides better training than photos in a text-book. "Training saves your life and having the right training aides make a difference," Mr. Weatherly said.