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Afghan Air Force trains to develop vehicle maintenance master instructors

  • Published
  • By Capt. Eydie Sakura
  • 438th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
KABUL, Afghanistan --  Train, Advise, Assist Command – Air (TAAC-Air) advisors and contractors work to refine Afghan Air Force logistics, reduce new acquisitions and programs, and create a sustainable and capable air force to support the Afghan National Security Forces in the coming years.

The Vehicle Maintenance Training Program (VMTP) is one focus area to acquire coalition expertise to provide meaningful instruction on specialized equipment and contractor support to the AAF. They began training June 27, 2015.

Daily efforts to provide one-on-one instruction with Afghan vehicle maintainers is a force multiplier in the counterinsurgency fight that AAF and Afghan National Army commanders cannot do without, said Lt. Col. Michael Evans, TAAC-Air director of logistics.

“The ability to train AAF instructors to create an AAF [with a] sustained personnel training pipeline is essential to the future of the ANSF and AAF,” Evans said. “By not providing the proper and intensive instruction, the wings and detachments will not be able to sustain their equipment and their mission to support the AAF.”

The initial master mechanics training, provided by 17 contractors and a handful of Coalition advisors, will develop the AAF’s first master mechanics and trainers, said Greek Warrant Officer Ioannidis Emmanouil, a 16-year vehicle mechanic quality control inspector and certified trainer.
“This is a huge in-progress training program with participants from all bases across Afghanistan,” Emmanouil said. “The AAF is a newly born air force and our goal is, at the end of [the Resolute Support] mission, ensure we have done everything necessary to transfer [our] knowledge [to the Afghans] so they can have a reliable and effective air force.”

In approximately one year, the vehicle maintenance depot will have a capability to support the AAF maintenance needs--a fly away unit to support the detachment’s requirements and ability to train the next generation of mechanics, Evans said.

“They will have a fleet manager who can program out for parts and support acquisition of new vehicles, with as little support as required from foreign military sales and contractors,” said Evans.

AAF master instructor manpower goal is to have three fire and refueling vehicle instructors; three material handling equipment and heavy equipment vehicle instructors; four general purpose vehicle instructors; and two fleet management and documentation master instructors.

The VMTP manager, Frank Alessi, said they’ve modeled the training after similar types of maintenance training programs often seen in military organizations.

“’Brilliance in Basics’ in regards to maintenance production is the key to success if the AAF maintenance activities are going to be able to sustain themselves and in a safe manner,” Alessi said. “We start with student evaluations to determine their literacy level and ability to comprehend.

After knowing this, we commence with common core training for all students regardless of their rank that consists of personal and shop safety, hazardous waste handling and storage and care and use of hand tools.”

The students progress to operator training and preventative maintenance checks and services to have a basic understanding of the equipment they’ll work with throughout the year. The training moves into mechanical theory and hands-on practical application with scheduled written and performance evaluations in regards to the common functional areas of all vehicle platforms.

“The most rewarding thing across the board is ‘when they get it’,” Alessi said. “When the individual trainer is able to take a student from the ground up and work closely with the student, and see he understands and can demonstrate the task or procedure that is to be performed … this makes the hard work worthwhile. This sentiment is shared among the complete [training] team.”

Emmanouil agrees and said the daily interaction with his Afghan counterparts has been successful.

“They are friendly and they respond immediately to my [training] I give them,” the Greek Warrant Officer said. “In my humble opinion, this is the real goal for [any] trainer!”