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Course lays foundation for F-16 maintainers

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Vernon Cunningham
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Sheppard AFB graduates approximately 750 Airmen from the F-16 Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice Course annually.

In the maintenance world, Sheppard AFB is home to one of the most important classes new maintainers take.

The introduction to aircraft maintenance course provides Airmen with the a basic foundation they can carry beyond the classroom.

Tech. Sgt. Chad Everett, 362nd Training Squadron F-16 mission readiness Airmen instructor, said the students train on every part of the jet, including the hydraulic systems, landing gear, engines, electrical systems and fuel systems.

"Each block of instruction builds upon the previous blocks," Sergeant Everett said. "There are two blocks for fundamentals where they learn about screw drivers, safety wiring and (personal protection equipment). Then there are six more blocks where we lecture and take students to the floor so they can see and (associate) the words to the equipment."

Tech. Sgt. Ricky English, 362nd TRS F-16 crew chief instructor, said Airmen are trusted with very expensive government equipment. He said the average cost of the equipment trainees work with is valued at more than $23 million dollars. The average age of a trainee is between 18 and 20 years old, he said.

"I had one student turn 18 in my class before," the sergeant said.

The F-16 Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice Course at Sheppard has 34 instructors who take Airmen through 58 academic days of study. By the time the Airmen graduate, they accumulate 21 credits toward a Community College of the Air Force degree.

Sergeant Everett said training students to become aircraft maintainers is very rewarding for instructors.

"To be able to take high school graduates and mold them into aircraft maintainers is really something," he said. "You can't do that with any person on the street. The instructors have to want to do it and the students have to want to learn.

"The instructors pass on their experience and knowledge to the students to help instill quality training and contribute to war-fighting efforts."

Graduates from the course will leave Sheppard AFB for follow-on courses at Luke AFB, Ariz.