Unit: Field Training Detachment 5, Maintenance Trainer Development Team (TDT), 373rd Training Squadron
Location: Joint Base Charleston, SC
Mission: “To train the C-17 aircraft maintenance community by integrating the highest caliber instructors and applying modern technology to develop the ultimate warfighter who delivers global mobility.”
Vision: “Become the C-17 community’s first choice to provide maintenance training!”
Staff: 1 Civilian, 5 TDT
What We Do:
Detachment 5, C-17 Maintenance Trainer Development Team (TDT) is based out of Joint Base Charleston, home of the 437th Airlift Wing. TDT is comprised of a TDT Chief and 5 Maintenance Training Instructors from 5 difference AFSCs who fill the role as subject-matter experts in the development and configuration management of 37 high fidelity maintenance training devices across 7 USAF and 1 international training location.
Although assigned to AETC, TDT’s main purpose is to provide critical aircraft systems and training device capability information to HQ AMC and AFMC’s C-17 Training System simulator division to ensure the training devices meet the mission requirements of current and future AETC and AMC maintenance training courses. The TDT closely monitors C-17 systems upgrades, aircraft technical order procedure changes and simulator obsolescence issues to identify and correct any potential training shortfalls. Once simulator upgrade requirements are identified, the team is responsible for reviewing and providing technical feedback for multi-million dollar engineering and contract change proposals. They provide system expertise throughout the period of performance of the simulator upgrade and conduct government acceptance testing to ensure 100% contract compliance.
The most recent and arguably the biggest impacting training device upgrade was the Electronic Warfare/Flare Loading modification which enabled the certification of over 800 flare load qualified maintainers across 1 PACAF and 6 AMC C-17 bases. This new simulator based training capability removed countless training hours from a dedicated aircraft and slashed time required for the hands on portion of the course by approximately 33%, returning the maintenance personnel back to the operational units where they are most needed. This modification also enabled the cut training of the Communications/Navigations and Mission Systems personnel into the newly required Electronic Warfare (EW) systems. The addition of 13 core EW tasks to the simulator removed the requirement to have an operational aircraft down for up to 3 consecutive days to complete these objectives and cut the overall training time by 60 percent.
The C-17 TDT consists of:
Mr. Edward Hayes- C-17 TDT Chief
MSgt Aaron Abercrombie- NCOIC
SSgt Jennifer Lopez- Electro Environmental SME
SSgt Wineinger, Aero Repair SME
SSgt Addington, Propulsion SME
SSgt Johnson ComNav/Msn Systems SME
SSgt Michael Willis- (Additional Duty) EW SME
TSgt Casey Jones- (Additional Duty) Flare-loading SME