372nd TRS, Det 3: We train, you maintain!

Unit:                      Detachment 3, 372nd Training Squadron

Location:             Hill AFB, UT

Mission:              Make Great maintainers and Communicators even better

Vision:                  Provide Field Training and Training Support That Makes a Lasting Difference

Motto:                  “We Train, You Maintain!”

Staff:                     18 AD USAF instructors & five DAF civilian instructors

What We Do:

“Our mission here at Hill AFB is unique among the 28 field training detachments (FTDs) in that we support three different maintenance training groups from three different major commands,” said Detachment Chief Master Sgt. Timothy A. Mason.  “Currently, our most notable mission is supporting the F-35 maintenance training requirements of the 388 FW (ACC), home of the Air Force’s first operational F-35 unit.  As they prepare to meet their initial operation capability (IOC) requirements in August of 2016, our detachment is responsible for training over 200 newly assigned maintainers who have all PCS’d to Hill AFB within the last year.  As if this task wasn’t daunting enough, our detachment did not have qualified F-35 instructors so our F-16 instructors had to quickly learn the new F-35 course material in order to teach all the new F-35 maintainers, not just from Hill, but from all F-35 units across the country.”

“Our second mission here at Hill AFB,” continued Mason, ” is to continue providing top notch F-16 aircraft maintenance training for Hill AFB’s remaining F-16 aircraft maintainers from both the 388 FW and from the 419 FW (AFRC) as well.  Continuing to provide quality F-16 maintenance training has been difficult because many of our F-16 instructors have already been tasked to teach F-35 courses.  However, our F-16 instructors remain dedicated to providing top of line F-16 training for as long as the Air Force continues to use F-16s… so we will continue to do so to the best of our capabilities.”

“Our third and largest mission at Hill AFB,” said Mason,” is to provide depot level aircraft maintenance training for the civilian aircraft maintainers of the Ogden Air Logistics Complex (AFMC), specifically for the 309 AMXG.  The 309 AMXG performs depot-level modifications and repairs on the A-10, C-130, F-16, F-22, F-35, and T-38 weapon systems and our detachment is responsible for ensuring that these maintainers are qualified to do so.  Amazingly, while there are several thousand Ogden Air Logistics Complex employees, the majority of their maintenance training requirements are accomplished by my five civilian instructors.  These five civilians are all prior active duty aircraft maintainers with many years of training experience under their belts.  When they are not kept busy training, they use both their prior service and instructor experience to mentor our younger active duty instructors.”

“We stay busy here at Hill,” concluded Mason, “but it’s an absolute honor to have such a large impact on such a large cross section of our Air Force.  Whatever the Air Force needs, we make it happen!”