AM Thornton visits Sheppard, learns about tech training

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Jacob Corbin
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
A British officer stood inside Barnes Hall, witnessing first hand how the 82nd Training Wing turns basic military training graduates into world-class mission-ready Airmen.

"Do you wear the blue hats they wear at BMT?" asked the visitor to Barnes Hall about military training leaders.

"No sir," responded Senior Master Sgt. Terry Neuharth, superintendent of 82nd Training Wing training operations. "MTL's are more like mentors."

This was one of many questions from an inquisitive visitor as he toured Sheppard March 6. He wasn't a would-be recruit or a visiting parent, instead it was someone accustomed to being on the other side of the learning process.

The visitor was Air Marshal Barry Thornton, Commander in Chief of Personnel and Training Command, British Royal Air Force. Air Marshal Thornton is the equivalent of Gen. William R. Looney III commander, Air Education and Training Command, and toured Sheppard as part of a whirlwind visit of AETC at the invitation of General Looney.

He was introduced to technical training from the moment he stepped off his plane, being greeted not only by Brig. Gen. Richard Devereaux, commander of the 82nd TRW and the Sheppard honor guard, but also by the Airmen-in-Training special activities team band. In addition, Col. Jeffery Kendall, 80th Flying Training Wing commander and Col. Lansen Conley, 82nd TRW vice commander, greeted the Air Marshal upon his arrival.

Air Marshal Thornton made stops at the 982nd Maintenance Squadron's training development flight, the 882nd Training Group's independent duty medical technician course, the 363rd Training Squadron, the 80th Flying Training Wing operations facility, and the 80th FTW simulator building.

At every stop, the air marshal was full of questions, always eager to learn how the RAF way of doing things differed from the U.S. Air Force way.

He said things were very similar between the two air forces, for the most part, and that the differences were usually very small.

The visit centered on how Sheppard was using technological improvements to expedite learning and minimize attrition rates in technical training.

Whether a life-like computerized dummy to help IDMT AIT or a program which recreates flying training student sorties for review, each stop had its own technological marvels to help train the next generation of Airmen.

At the 363rd TRS, Air Marshal Thornton was shown the NGRAIN armament computer system. The program helps AITs understand armament systems by giving them an inside view of the weapon system's components.

The air marshal quickly grasped how important such a seemingly simple system was.

"You can take (weapon systems) to pieces as much as you want," Air Marshal Thornton said. "But you'll never be able to see it work on the inside."

In addition to visiting Sheppard the air marshal also visited Lackland Air Force Base, Texas and Randolph AFB, Texas.

Air Marshal Thornton was accompanied to Sheppard by Maj. Gen. Mark Zamzow, AETC air, space and information operations director and Air Commodore Phil Goodman, Air Attaché at the British Embassy, Washington.