KADENA AIR BASE, OKINAWA, Japan -- Day in and day out, leaders in the Air Force are influencing countless Airmen, their education, core values and most importantly, training them to do their mission.
The 372nd Training Squadron, Detachment 15, provides different training courses to Kadena’s Airmen, including courses involving F-15 Eagle maintenance.
The 372nd TRS, Det. 15 presently offers 45 courses to Kadena’s Airmen.
“Of those 45 courses, 41 are directly related to aircraft maintenance ranging from the F-15 Eagle, KC-135 Stratotanker and the E-3 Sentry airframes,” said Master Sgt. Dawayne Reeds, 372nd TRS, Det. 15 detachment chief. “The other courses we offer are related to faculty development, which are technical writer, instructional systems development, plan of instruction and training supervisor.”
Tech. Sgt. Timothy Peppler, 372nd TRS, Det. 15, F-15 Eagle aircraft maintenance instructor, said he and his fellow instructors teach approximately 93 crew chiefs each year. This includes 2000 hours of training and about 32 classes.
The learning environment alternates between classroom settings and training out on the flightline.
“Every Airman who comes here to take a class is a hard worker,” said Peppler. “They always want to learn something new about the F-15 Eagle. To make sure they understand what we are teaching, we ask a lot of questions. If I have someone that needs a little more help, I will take my time with them and try to relate the material to something they know already.”
As he works with his Airmen, Peppler not only leads and mentors them, but he learns from them as well.
“Every day I am learning something new from my students,” said Peppler. “It could be a fun fact or even a new approach on teaching. I try to learn something new every day and challenge everyone to do the same.”
Reeds said the instructors teach the Airmen how to do complex tasks the correct way.
“One of the biggest things we get positively critiqued on by the students is how involved the instructors are regarding their understanding of the material,” said Reeds. “I sit in on courses, from time to time, to observe the instructors involvement and they’re dedicated to making sure the students grasp the information.”
Teaching Airmen and learning from them is a rewarding part of the career, said Peppler.
“I am very proud of what I do,” said Peppler. “I love answering any questions Airmen have about the Air Force, our way of life, and showing them they are important to the mission.”