Sheppard ready to get technical with 5th Annual Tech Expo

  • Published
  • By John Ingle
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  A crew chief at a flightline at a forward deployed location grabs what appears to be a laptop computer; something that normally wouldn't survive in austere conditions of a sandy region.

Thousands of miles away, an instructor in a maintenance course uses a 3D model to show the inner-workings of a complex system.

This type of frontline technology will be on display Feb. 27 at the 5th Annual Tech Expo at the Sheppard Club. The expo, featuring numerous technology-related vendors, will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 1:30 p.m.

Vendors include well-known industry leaders such as Hewlett Packard and Visual Innovations. Others include Zebra Technologies, eInstructions and QGent.

Gina Johnson, a member of the 82nd Training Wing Training Operations Training Technology Management team, said no matter what the business or type of technology, they could all eventually find their way into classrooms at Sheppard to aid in the development of the Air Force's newest Warfighter. Even more, the innovations could be part of every-day life in the active Air Force.

But technology isn't limited to classrooms alone.

Ms. Johnson said companies like CDWG and BETIS Group will demonstrate the means to train Airmen at deployed locations through online training. This would allow for immediate upgrade training without having to wait on materials from a home base.

A few organizations from Sheppard will also tout their expertise in the development of technology tools for use in the classroom.

The 982nd Training Group's Technology Integration Media Analysis, Instructional Technology Unit and Trainer Development sections will display their abilities to create unique applications for training squadrons here or around the globe.

The 882nd TRG's Instructional Technology Unit will also have items on display. Included in the display is a special presentation by the Independent Duty Medical Technician course showcasing the use of hand-held devices to retrieve the latest medical information.