442nd FSS trains Airmen for success

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Wesley Wright
  • 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  One of the top priorities for the 442nd Fighter Wing this year, as outlined by Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Eric S. Overturf, is training.

Anita Brenberger, 442nd Force Support Squadron chief of force development and training, and Tech. Sgt. Joseph A. Marsala, 442nd FSS training manager, are part of the wing- and unit-wide effort to make sure Airmen here are trained and fully capable of supporting the wing's mission.

Brenberger has been with the Air Force since 1994. She oversees on-the-job training for enlisted Airmen, seasoning training, requests for technical schools and professional military education. She also manages officer-upgrade training, Montgomery G.I. bill and tuition-assistance, all at the wing level.

For the 442nd FSS, Marsala is hard at work, making sure Airmen are trained to do the mission.

Marsala has been the unit-training manager at the 442nd FSS since he returned from technical school in June 2012.

"My day-to-day responsibilities are overseeing training for FW staff, FSS and mission support group," he said. "I'm responsible for on-the-job training roster updates, making sure career-development courses are getting signed off on and core tasks are being done for upgrades, and I brief the unit and wing commanders on the status of training reports on a monthly basis."

Brenberger said some opportunities for improvement were found in wing and unit training during the recent combined unit inspection.

Marsala -- along with the rest of the training offices -- is now ensuring steps are being taken to address the issues identified.

"We now have a specific person to oversee training at the unit level," he said. "We were able to increase the manning to ensure more efficient training."

"There were no training-recognition programs in place prior to the CUI," he said. "Now, Airmen can get early-release passes for outstanding performance in training. We are also scheduling staff assisted visits to ensure all areas are compliant with Air Force regulations."

Brenberger said training is vital for keeping the wing ready to perform the mission.

"If people are not trained, we cannot do the wing's mission of Training and Deploying Combat-Ready Airmen," she said.

Marsala agreed with Brenberger that training is important.

"Training is one of the most important things," he said. "If individuals aren't trained in their jobs, here or deployed, the mission cannot be completed."