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***image1***Airfield management from the 86th Operations Support Squadron is training Army Soldiers in a first-ever Department of Defense pilot program.
The Soldiers, assigned to 3d Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment in Illsheim, Germany, are gaining expertise on every aspect of an airfield management program from flight line driving, to the Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard program, to flight planning procedures, airfield inspections and checks.
“There is a need for Army airfield operations battalion personnel to deploy downrange and run an airfield for all types of incoming and outgoing aircraft,” said Master Sgt. Karen Ashley, U.S. Air Forces in Europe airfield management functional area manager.
Currently, there are five airfield operations battalions in the Army, said Sgt. Dywann Page, 3-58th AR.
“Our goal in this cooperative joint venture is to pass on our expertise of running an airfield so these Soldiers can deploy to and safely manage any airfield downrange and land all types of military and commercial aircraft,” said Tech. Sgt. Matthew Ludwig, 86th OSS NCOIC of airfield management operations.
Training at Ramstein was an optimal choice for the program since the airfield remains busy with a large array of different aircraft that land at the Air Force’s only CAT II/III runway.
“This is a very busy airfield,” Sergeant Page said. “Just learning all the policies and procedures for personnel to drive on the flight line is intense.”
The three-person team, to include Sergeant Page, Sgt. Jason Johns and Pfc. Ricardo Farias, is involved in a targeted airfield management immersion program complete with multiple trips to Ramstein, as well as distance learning through computer-based training, and proficiency testing to build on the skills received during on-the-job training conducted on the airfield.
“We are looking into more programs like this one at Ramstein to incorporate on other Air Force bases,” Sergeant Ashley said. She also said the Air Force is setting up the framework to send Army airfield operations battalion personnel through Air Force airfield manager training courses in the U.S.
