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Team Fairchild partners with 373rd TRS Det 13 tenant unit, creating Multi-Capable Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Anneliese Kaiser
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Team Fairchild partnered with the 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 13 tenant unit to create multi-capable Airmen through courses designed for aircrew to learn aircraft maintenance skills.

Multi-capable Airmen concept can be applied to all Air Force specialties, but the most imperative to Fairchild, is the ability for aircrew to expand their knowledge on how to keep the KC-135 Stratotanker healthy when resources or personnel are unavailable.

“We’re giving the boom operators and crew chiefs a better understanding of how our equipment works, so they can take it back to their squadrons and educate the rest of their crews,” said Staff Sgt. Brenden Jones, 373rd Training Squadron Detachment 13, jet propulsion instructor. “In case they land somewhere where there isn’t maintenance support, they now have the knowledge to at least do a band aid fix, and get the jet back up in the air.”

This relatively new training includes an auxiliary power unit and quality standards system class, boom hydraulic class and an air crew servicing class, with key lessons on safety, reading technical orders, and troubleshooting methods.

“You’re trying to get people trained to do other jobs so they know more than one skill,” said Tech Sgt. Antonio Rapp, 373rd TRS Det 13, crew chief instructor. “That way you can have someone that’s well-rounded to keep these aircraft operational.”

Having the knowledge to maintain and service these almost 63 year-old jets can prove useful and cost effective, especially in unexpected situations where the need to send maintenance crews with jets is difficult and expensive.

“You become a jack-of-all trades really,” Jones said. “Typically when you get on the flightline, each individual career field just takes care of their specific duties. Getting qualified on other people’s jobs mitigates the need to pull more people out for a mission.”

Becoming a multi-capable Airman can be challenging, but it ensures Airmen are both good enough to solve today’s problems and prepared for tomorrow’s fight.

“Being a multi-capable Airman since I’ve joined has meant doing more with less,” said Master Sgt. Augie Marshall, 92nd Operations Squadron superintendent. “We are definitely capable, and now we are putting it to the test by helping other squadrons. Our hands are in the fight to make global reach a possibility.”

By partnering with the 373rd TRS Det 13 team, Team Fairchild can effectively create more multi-capable Airmen and keep Team Fairchild ready to extend Global Reach anywhere, anytime.