EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska - Alaska Air National Guardsmen from the 168th Air Refueling Wing flew to Andersen Air Base in Guam Feb. 14 to train Guardsmen there on KC-135 aircraft maintenance skills.
During an intense four-day training, a group of 16 Airmen conducted hands-on and classroom training for 33 Guam Guardsmen attached to the 168th Air Refueling Wing.
Guam and Alaska are part of a unique partnership to stand up a new tanker unit in Guam and complete the Pacific strategic triangle.
"The goal was to bring an aircraft to these Guardsmen to focus on the specific core tasks they need to be proficient at in order to maintain a KC-135, and at the same time, get these guys ready to join us in the upcoming May operational readiness inspection," said Lt. Col. Brian Fulkerson, 168th Air Refueling Wing mission commander.
Alaska maintainers worked side-by-side with Guam maintainers on core maintenance tasks, signing them off to legally service the KC-135.
A typical day consisted of six hours of intense training on the flight line followed by four hours of classroom work.
In the classroom, Tech. Sgt. Joy Dolton, the 168th maintenance training manager, administered four certification tests, as well as training on sexual assault and prevention response, gas mask fit tests, aircraft corrosion control and foreign object damage prevention.
Master Sgt. Barbara Maglaqui created medical records for all personnel, and Senior Master Sgt. John LaBean taught emergency ground egress to the group.
On the flight line, maintainers worked to launch an aircraft piloted by Capt. Arnold Banks, the only KC-135 pilot in the Guam group, while Lt. Col. Robert Mackelprang ensured the aviator was proficient in transition and emergency procedures while in flight.
The next time the Guam maintainers will see an Alaska KC-135 tail will be a few weeks before the 168th's operational readiness inspection in May, when their training be put to the test.
Although the training week was short, it was an overall success in seeing not only the trainers' abilities to train in a limited amount of time but the trainees' abilities to learn and utilize the skills they learned, Guard officials said.
Tech. Sgt. Robert Albaugh, one of the crew chiefs on the training team, said: "Never in my life have I seen such an eager group of Guardsmen who are hungry to know more and do more."