Military vehicle Mechanics/Technician (All branches)

Hello, everyone.

I made this thread to see if we have any vehicle mechanics/technicians on this forum. I am currently a fire truck/refueler mechanic (Air Force ) and would like this thread to be used for some venting or helpful discussion related to the automotive/motor pull field (military)

With that being said, one of my concerns would have to be training with the emphasis on trouble shooting and diagnostic training that the A/F provides for their vehicle mechanics/technicians. I feel that the A/F is pretty on point with familiarizing their mechanics/technicians with their AFAC vehicle (General Humvees, C shred hydraulic fork lifts, A shred fire trucks/refuelers) but fails when it comes to having the mechanic/technician learn to trouble shoot and diagnose the actual problem part or cause of the problem (loose connection, bad solenoid, bad pressure switch, bad one-way air check valve ect) and have them just replace the component.

Now, I know that I'm going to get the "Have them just look at the Technical orders" but that only helps so much when all you follow is a flow chart and those TOs can't substitute real experience and diagnostic knowledge. I also sense the "train them yourself" is coming, but with the limited vehicles we currently have, it makes it damn near impossible for quality training because we can't afford to "break" a vehicle because of the need for the vehicle when it comes to the mission. Lastly the hours of over time we would accrue because of having our experienced Techs teach our younger ones would just result in 12 hour shifts that just kills all morale in our shop and would result in poor training. Now, we do have a training day once a month, but its always something silly like "this is how a airbag works *boom" and honestly I think that's because of the hours we work and with no real time allotted towards forming an actually training plan.

So, in summary our techs are under trained and over worked. Now, please don't see this as me bashing the AF or my shop, realistically we are just products of our time. I love my profession and the AF, but when all of my practical training has either been self taught or from YouTube and our younger techs can't read an electric schematic or know what a voltage drop test or how to properly use a multimeter forgive me if I get a little discouraged...

I put it out to the older Vets that have gone through stuff like this, what's your advise or do you guys have any words of wisdom? I don't just want to b**** about this with no plan of action. I've been in for 4 years so far, and honestly don't want any young tech to go through what I went through when it comes to training; because no one gives a crap when you can't fix a vehicle because of your lack of proper training. I want to save younger Techs from experiencing that.

Anyways, thank you for reading this and giving me your time.

-DChuck

 

I joined the Army way back as an M60-A3 tank mechanic, reclassed to an M1 mechanic. Got out and joined the guard as an 88M PLS truck driver and now I am a Public Affairs photo journalist.

 

If dear old dad were here he'd probably say the following............

If the goal is to keep the vehicle (whatever it is) in service, because there is no inventory slack of 'whole units', you respond in the fastest way. Which is what you describe. Diagnostics to the component level, change the component and go.

Is it the cheapest parts wise, or does it create the best diagnostician for post career work? No. But that's not the mission. (Your post career transferable skills were of interest to you, and may have been played on by a recruiter. The Service doesn't actually care about that)

When you have time and/or extra parts OR there are no replacement parts, that's when you 1) learn under pressure 2) learn to improvise 3) learn to alter your on hand inventory if possible.

WWII guys and many after worked by the seat of their pants and ingenuity. And yes, less gee whizz equipment made that easier. But if you were a farm boy who only plowed with mules, got trained on tanks, but found yourself as a B27/17 C47 ground team personally in charge of instrumentation, you learned to diagnose and repair, even via improvisation, fast.

Or people died.

 

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I don't know about training in general today.

But we had excellent training in the past, but you had to really dig as an individual too.

Don't take this generalized comment personally .... IMO, things in general in the military have become so PC and soft that it is difficult to get people to get off their ass and go the work sometimes.

This has happened in our society too, but it's easier to see in the military, because you have a timeline gauge.

Still the best military in the world with good training, but maybe it requires even more individual discipline today with "easier & more PC instructors ??

20 years from now the Chinese & others will eat our lunch if we are not careful ... they are smart and very hungry.

PS .. Like Clearwater Bill said. A lot of seat of the pants engineering was done too

PPS ...I would get told in the past in the military. "MAKE IT WORK"

PPPS. We have become a very comfortable society (and taken care of society) and that has spoiled us too, me included, and that goes to our basic fabric on everything.
Many other countries are still emerging, hungry and want our lifestyle and they will either "infiltrate us from inside " of "take us over from the outside".

These things affect almost everything in our lives now, especially the military from top to bottom.

Rant over.

 

31B MP in the guard and I'll tell you what something needs to be done about humvee tranny lines . Literally 6/15 in my platoon alone leak tranny fluid and I mean it's only a class 2 leak but still stupid all the same .

As far as training goes idk not my problem we just break things lol at least that's what maintainance always says !

 

Spent 10 or so years as a 63B/91B, wheeled vehicle mechanic before becoming an Allied Trades Warrant Officer now have 2 years as a Warrant

 

I remember at 3RD MAW MCAS El Toro back in the early 80's and at my unit which was MWSG-37 the Motor T mechanics had some fun times

I remember one of the items to check off on the ready line was that a Deuce and half had to grab 2nd gear and bark the tires . It also had to at least leave a 2' rubber mark from a clutch dump

Also when it came time for a engine replacement watching the mechanics drain the oil the placing their tool box on the gas pedal then start it up and walk away

Vehicles we had ...

M791 Gamma Goat

M35A1 Duece and half variants

M151 Mutts

 

Im an Apache AH-64D longbow and blackhawk UH-60L mechanic and crew chief if that counts

 

Does an Air Craft Carrier mechanic count? I was a Machinsts Mate on the Nimitz. Our division maintained and operated a majority of the ship minus most of the nuke spaces.