DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- Reservists assigned to the 512th Airlift Wing wrapped up a full week of annual training April 27, 2018, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
More than 30 of the wing’s Reserve Citizen Airmen from the 512th Logistics Readiness and Force Support squadrons worked alongside their counterparts from the joint base’s Reserve, Active Duty, Air National Guard and Navy units to accomplish upgrade training and exchange best practices in their respective job areas.
“The opportunity for our Airmen to integrate with other LRS units, especially in a joint force environment like JBPPH, is an invaluable aspect of why we train away from our home station,” said Master Sgt. Isiah Copeland, 512th LRS fuels operations supervisor.
While in Hawaii, the reservists not only accomplished tasks intended to grow competency at their jobs, but they also had an opportunity to become familiar with their host unit’s equipment and procedures.
An example of 512th LRS Airmen getting familiar with procedures employed at JBPHH is making the base’s tank trucks safe for transferring fuel.
“Tank trucks are specialized vehicles that deliver essential fuel to military and civilian customers across the Island of Oahu,” said Tech. Sgt. James Steinbrueck, 512th LRS fuels department NCO in charge.
He added refueling tank trucks is not as simple as a civilian pulling up to a station to gas up.
The 512th LRS’s fuels specialists learned from Navy contractors to perform vehicle safety inspections as the vehicles arrive at the station located on-base; then, the Citizen Airmen grounded the trucks to dissipate any electrostatic charge that could create a spark. Finally, the reservists followed Navy procedures to fuel and de-fuel the trucks’ tanks.
“We don’t normally perform this kind of training with truck tanks at Dover,” said Steinbrueck.
Elsewhere on the base, a team of client systems and knowledge management specialists from the 512th FSS’ Communications Operations Flight engaged with their counterparts at JBPHH’s Reserve and Active-Duty communications units, the 624th Regional Support Group and the 747th Communications Squadron.
“We’re here at JBPHH to develop a greater total force integration perspective by being exposed to a more diverse mission set than we are accustomed to at Dover AFB,” said 2nd Lt. Joey Keyes, 512th COF’s office in charge.
Master Sgt. Keisha Wood, the flight’s knowledge management center section chief, said the unique advantage of her tour at JBPPH is being able to collaborate with active-duty and reserve knowledge managers in a joint-service environment.
“Knowledge management is a career field that values innovation and thinking outside the box,” she said. “It’s very beneficial for me to work at other units so I can gain insight into their best practices, especially as they relate to SharePoint.”
Knowledge Managers use SharePoint, a network software that provides a platform for organizations to collaborate and share information.
The reservists from the 512th LRS and FSS accomplished a variety of training tasks during their time at JBPHH that focused on their job duties in fuels, logistics plans, vehicle maintenance, client systems, material and knowledge management.
“As I tell my Airmen, the purpose of annual tour is to ensure we get the required training to make sure we are deployable worldwide in support of any Air Force mission,” Steinbrueck said.
The efforts of the 512th AW Reserve Citizen Airmen who perform annual tour on or off station are focused on keeping Dover Air Force Base “Liberty Strong,” so warfighters can win the fight; today and tomorrow.