HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — No, this isn’t a new political campaign slogan; it’s the unofficial motto of the 367th Training Support Squadron.
Familiar to many aircraft and missile maintainers, “The Griffin” is a training development squadron and a tenant unit at Hill AFB out of the 782nd Training Group at Sheppard AFB, Texas.
The 367th TRSS is comprised of 89 active-duty and civilian personnel from across the aircraft maintenance, missile maintenance, maintenance management analysis, and cyber systems operations communities. The distinctiveness of this organization’s charge is made evident in the mission statement, “Maintainers delivering needs-based solutions to the Maintenance Community.”
The Griffin is certainly a unique assignment, particularly for the assigned aircraft and missile maintainers. Squadron members are often hired with little to no formal background in computer-based training development, and upon arrival they are interviewed and assigned to a section based on their individual backgrounds and skillsets.
Members of the Analysis section travel to maintenance units across the Air Force to analyze performance deficiencies and identify training gaps. Once initial analysis is complete, design members interpret the collected data and apply Instructional System Design principles to create the framework for products necessary to fill the training gaps and satisfy the needs of the aircraft and missile maintenance communities. This framework is then passed along to the Software Development and Graphics sections to create video footage, code software, and develop the products to bring the designed framework to life. Finally, the near-finished products are scrutinized for technical accuracy, safety compliance, and overall quality by the Evaluation section. Then the product is provided to a focus-group from the target audience for feedback. Once stamped with the seal of approval, products are then hosted on the internally-developed and maintained Griffin website for field-level use.
According to Senior Master Sgt. Lori Ehlo, 367th TRSS superintendent, this unique mission creates a great opportunity for members to step outside their normal duties and add value to the Air Force in a new way.
“It’s just such a versatile group of Airmen,” said Ehlo. “I’ve got an aircraft avionics mechanic designing courses for the ICBM maintenance community and a missile maintenance technician analyzing aircraft maintenance performance trends. This mission is not the black and white procedural environment many of them are used to; they’re thinking outside the box to solve problems for the Air Force. They’re breaking down barriers to identify root causes and provide solutions. It really boils down to motivated people making it happen.”
Showcasing The Griffin’s capabilities is the improved Foreign Object Damage and Dropped Object Prevention Program (FOD/DOPP) training. Rolling up the annual training requirements for 39,000 maintainers world-wide, the new FOD/DOPP training consolidated four separate training videos into one streamlined product. This effort will save maintainers an estimated 6,500 hours annually, reducing the training footprint while better achieving the desired effect of the FOD and DOPP programs.
For 20 years the 367th TRSS has been providing training solutions for maintenance communities across the Air Force. By combining technical solutions with subject matter expertise, they are able to create custom training and learning products for all types of aircraft and weapon systems. Check out their products at https://367trss.hill.af.mil.
