The 56th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., opened their doors to the Royal Australian Air Force to shadow the Materiel Management and the Deployment and Distribution flights for a one-month immersion opportunity to gain the expertise the partner nation needs to develop their F-35 program.
Two Australian logisticians are the first to learn how to receive, transfer, document and distribute equipment using the Autonomic Logistics Information Systems in an operational environment. ALIS is critical in the maintenance and sustainment of the F-35 throughout its life cycle.
“We have not had the opportunity to work with ALIS other than a two-week training course,” said RAAF Sergeant Craig Meyerink, senior noncommissioned officer in charge of F-35 supply. “To be here is a unique opportunity to shadow the people who have been working with the system for the last two years.”
The visiting RAAF personnel are learning from the best practices LRS has developed including the intricacies of the system and how to deal with the differences compared to legacy systems.
“That [differences compared to legacy systems] has probably been the biggest learning curve for us and what we have taken away because we can implement that back home,” said RAAF Corporal Jonathan Geer, F-35 supply NCO. “This definitely enables us to hit the ground running and get our project off to a head start.”
This opportunity not only benefits the partner nation, but the Airmen of LRS as well. Being able to teach their daily procedures and having the RAAF Airmen draw information out has further reinforced their knowledge, improving their operations.
“What is really remarkable about this immersion is that it might be just a one-time thing and we are pushing off as much information as we can to these two so they may take it and build their F-35 program from the ground up,” said U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Ryan Allen, 56th LRS Materiel Management flight commander.
As the RAAF Airmen return to Australia with the training they’ve received, LRS looks to the future hoping to send Airmen to learn from the Australian F-35 program and aid in continuing to build the future of airpower at Luke.
