Partners in Aviation

Career Technical Education Leaders Tour 1109th

By Scott J. Farrell

From the time he was a teenager, Steven Primett knew he wanted a technology career. When he was 18, he joined the Army and received training as a Huey helicopter crew chief and AH-1 Cobra mechanic.

After a two-year tour with the Army, he joined the Army National Guard (ARNG) as a Specialist (E-4) and a few months later started his full-time career with the ARNG.

Now retired from the ARNG after 32 years, having achieved the rank of state command sergeant major, Primmet still utilizes his skills working as a civilian employee in the quality assurance shop of an elite aviation maintenance unit, the 1109th Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot (AVCRAD).

“Getting the right technical education was key to my career success,” Primett said. “And I want the young people out there who are interested in aviation technology careers to know about the opportunities the National Guard can offer them.”

Providing leadership for career technical education’s role in workforce preparation, education and economic development, the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc) is committed to quality career technical education—making it an ideal collaborator for the ARNG’s Partners in Education program.

Administered by the National Guard Bureau’s Strength Maintenance Division (NGB-ASM), the Partners in Education program was established to connect educators and students across the U.S. with free ARNG educational resources. To support this mission, ARNG representatives from the Partners in Education program attend national educator conferences to provide information on the ARNG’s resources.

NASDCTEc held its annual fall meeting in Mystic, CT, Sept. 7–11, 2008, and Partners in Education was there to represent the ARNG.

One of the featured events at this year’s NASDCTEc fall meeting was a guided tour of the 1109th AVCRAD in Groton, CT. Sponsored by the Partners in Education program, the open house offered state and territory agency heads responsible for career technical education the opportunity to learn about the many educational opportunities available to members of the ARNG, from SAT study assistance to financial aid.

June S. Sanford, the State Director for Career and Technical Education for the Connecticut State Department of Education, is a NASDCTEc member who chaired the fall meeting. “The Connecticut State Department of Education has been partnering with the National Guard for more than 10 years now, and the information and resources they provide to our members support our mission to promote quality career technical education.”

Guided by ARNG members who work full-time as part of the 1109th AVCRAD, NASDCTEc members toured the facility and learned about the AVCRAD mission, capabilities and equipment.

The 1109th AVCRAD is one of only four facilities of its type in the ARNG. Its day-to-day mission is to provide parts and maintenance to Army National Guard aviation facilities in 14 northeastern states and the District of Columbia.

Workers at the 1109th AVCRAD provide supply parts and intermediate maintenance support by rebuilding rotary aircraa engines, repairing rotary blades and providing avionics equipment support. The fourth-largest employer in the area, the 1109th AVCRAD has more than 300 full-time and more than 200 part-time ARNG employees. They work in the 30 military occupational specialties available at the unit.

The tour focused on the types of technical jobs available in military maintenance facilities nationwide, and emphasized that students interested in technology careers are welcome to visit these facilities to learn more.

After returning to their home states, NASDCTEc members can contact their local ARNG representatives to learn more about local facilities. They are then able to pass along this valuable information to the educators with whom they work.

Dr. Rosanne T. White, Executive Director of the Technology Student Association, a student organization devoted to the needs of students interested in technology, took part in the tour. “The tour of the aviation facility was a highlight of this conference,” Dr. White said. “It was interesting to learn how many opportunities there are in the National Guard for students interested in technology careers.”

[Published in Volume 5, Issue 9 of GX magazine: download PDF]