Technology takes off

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Staci Miller
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  What comes to mind when you think of the future? The 56th Training Squadron imagines a world where pilots around the globe can receive specialized fighter training in an instant and local students can access all their course work and computer-based training from one portable device.

Currently, each F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot receives more than 3,500 documents of information, totaling more than a million pages annually. Switching to a portal digital device would eliminate paper waste, provide a 24/7 global learning environment and allow for instant content updates.

"The overall goal is to essentially take the brick and mortar style classroom we have and turn it into a 21st-century educational system where we can do distributive learning," said Lt. Col. Chad Burdick, 56th Training Squadron director of operations. "It's going to be implemented through a couple different phases and will take several years to fully be active."

One phase of the program focuses on allowing current students stationed at Luke Air Force Base to receive a portable digital device which contains all of their course work, computer-based training and PowerPoint slides. The device would also act as an in-flight simulator.

"They currently have all this information available to them at the learning center, but they are bound to the computer here," Burdick said. "The concept is to basically give them everything in a device that they can take home."

The next phase of the program focuses on allowing distance-learning students to have access to all learning materials and a way to receive training and feedback no matter where they are in the world.

"We are the mother ship, and because we have such a great wealth of information and a group of highly qualified instructors, it would be nice if a young lieutenant stationed across the world could reach back here for information," Burdick said.

As Luke is also the hub for F-35 Lightning ll training, the urgency to begin distance learning increases.

"With the F-35s, we have so many partner nations with us, so it will be important for them to be able to reach back to us to get the latest and greatest information," Burdick said.

The program has been in the works for more than a year and faces a few roadblocks.

"We're not getting any extra money so it's been a grass-roots level effort, and we've had to be really innovative," Burdick said. "The 56th Medical Group donated a few portable devices that they no longer needed. We're really excited about this because we have enough to do a concept demonstration, and it didn't cost us anything."

The 56th TRS also has some unique challenges due to the nature of the mission.

"It's been a challenge because so much of what we do is classified," Burdick said. "I could theoretically be in an unclassified lecture and a student could ask a question which requires a classified response. In the classroom, we can shut everything down, provide a classified environment, answer the question, and return to an unclassified environment to continue the lesson. It's just navigating the fine line to get to where we can do the same digitally."

The 56th TRS isn't the first Air Force unit to make the transition from paper materials to digital.

"What we're designing is similar to what maintenance groups use," Burdick said. "Several years ago when a maintainer would go out to fix a jet, he would pick up a giant binder. Before he could service the jet he would have to reference a paper document. The maintenance groups got innovative and moved to a rugged, portable, electronic-type notebook."

Transitioning to digital doesn't just prevent paper waste and allow for portability, it also makes updates quick and easy.

"Things are constantly changing, so anytime course material changes or we get any updates at all, we can immediately update via electronic means," Burdick said.
The idea to switch to digital is exciting but still very much in the planning stages.

"With this next class we're going to do a small issue and hopefully get some meaningful feedback," Burdick said. "We're still taking baby steps, but we really feel like we will implement the program at some point."