373rd TRS trains Travis mechanics to solve any problem

  • Published
  • By Jennifer Brugman
  • 60th AMW Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, CA. --  The 373rd Training Squadron, detachment 14 based out of Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, trains Travis crew chiefs, electricians, jet mechanics, avionics and hydraulics troops on aircraft maintenance and repair.

“All the folks that work on C-5s and KC-10s get formal training from us on how to work on that aircraft,” said Senior Master Sgt. Raymond Harrold, detachment chief. “Whether they’re brand new Airmen or NCOs, if they don’t have any C-5 experience, we’re going to give them the formal courses. We get real detailed on preparing them for success.”

As a reward for their preparedness, the 373rd recently had zero findings during a 2nd Air Force Training Standardization Evaluation Visit.

“No findings — that’s an awesome thing,” Sergeant Harrold said. “[They] usually find two to four findings at each detachment. We had zero.”

The 373rd prepares Travis Airmen for every kind of aircraft discrepancy on the flightline. Students learn to troubleshoot, change tires and do pre- and post-flight inspections. Instructors train active duty and Reservists from across the Air Force.

The 373rd has a set curriculum with classes lasting from four days to six weeks. Sergeant Harrold estimates that 50 percent of a student’s time is spent in the classroom, while the rest is spent in hands-on systems training. The 373rd has mock-ups of C-5 and KC-10 parts, including landing gear, wings and engines, to aid in training.

Each of the 34 instructors goes through a six-week course which teaches them what they need to know to be effective instructors

“They learn to instruct properly,” Sergeant Harrold said. “It’s very interactive. We try to get students involved. They’re not going to learn if you’re just rambling along.”

Every instructor with the 373rd has more than five years experience and at least one Associates degree from the Community College of the Air Force.

“They’re all sharp people,” Sergeant Harrold said. “We get the best people. People want to come to FTD them because they know they’re going to learn.”

More than 1,100 people per year are trained by the 373rd.

“When they leave here, they have a source of knowledge that they can apply on the flightline,” Sergeant Harrold said.