BARNES AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mass. -- The 104th Fighter Wing welcomed a group of trainees from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., May 14.
Logistics specialists, working in areas such as command and control, electronic systems, radars, and IT infrastructure, toured seven base sections to gain firsthand insight into military operations, helping to bridge the gap between logistical decision-making and real-world application.
Every day operations present unique challenges, and for these future logistics managers, understanding how product support planning shapes mission success is crucial. Officials are currently participating in a rigorous three-year rotation program, advancing from the GS-7 to the GS-12 level.
Steven LaFleur, AFLCMC logistics site senior functional and leader of the rotational program, helped plan the tour.
“Our personnel make recommendations in product design with supply, maintenance, and operators in mind,” LaFleur explained. “They oversee maintenance planning, training, supply support, and design interface, essential for the full life cycle of weapons systems.”
Through prior visits to bases with different aircraft, the trainees explored the contrasting logistics of fighter, cargo, and tanker operations. This visit brought fresh perspectives, exposing personnel to fuel operations and weapons handling. Officials were especially impressed with the money-saving technology of the 3D printing in maintenance to resolve issues.
Staff Sgt. Warner Adams, 104 FW Air Ground Equipment, talked with the group as they toured the shop he works in.
“They seemed to truly understand their job/role and how it impacted our side of everything. They also had consistent follow up questions upon being answered, they were very prepared," he said
Abbey Collins, a logistics management specialist from Hanscom AFB, is currently working on an emergency communications system for bomber aircraft. Seeing operational components firsthand was invaluable.
“Most of us spend our days analyzing part numbers on screens,” Collins explained. “Witnessing the actual hardware and its use in real-time made everything more tangible.”
Senior Master Sgt. Adam Casineau, AGE supervisor, emphasized the importance of understanding parts replacement.
“Big decisions rely on maintainers’ insights,” she reflected. “Their input should be factored into decision-making.”
Nicholas Granger, logistics management specialist on the Aloha radar replacement program, echoed this sentiment.
“Talking to people who use these systems provides a new perspective,” Granger said. “Their feedback directly affects mission success. Now, we can take this back to our program office and integrate it into future contracts and requirements.”
John Cocks, logistics management specialist, is working on Airborne Network Gig Interface, and NIPR and SIPR access to certain aircraft platforms such as the KC-135 and KC-46 Bomber community.
”It’s very valuable to talk with the end user of our contracts and hear about the problems and where they started from. Our office has a say in what documents need to be written so we can help them if we know more about what they need,“ said Cocks
Overall, it left the trainees reflecting on what they can do to enhance their individual programs. Whether it be in maintenance planning or supply logistics to help avoid some of the issues platforms like the F-15 are dealing with. Their decision-making capability will help operational readiness in the future.
(Editor's note: The 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs Office provided edits to this article.)