FORT SILL, Oklahoma, Feb. 27, 2020 -- Since 2017, the Air Defense Artillery School here, and Red River Technology Center have partnered in credentialing Soldiers on the industry standard for electronics.
On Feb. 19, students from the 140L Air and Missile Defense Systems Technician Warrant Officer Basic Course completed their capstone event to receive industry certification in Level 1 and Level 2 electronics.
"These ADA warrant officers have completed two out of the four levels of electronic certifications," said William Leyrer, Red River electronics, aviation, and aerospace instructor. "The Level 1 certification focuses on direct current whereas Level 2 certification focuses on alternating current circuit troubleshooting and analysis. Both are recognized by the International Society of Certified Electronics which is considered the de facto standard for civilian electronic certification."
The ADA school supports the credentialing program, which directly impacts Army readiness by establishing and implementing programs to validate Soldiers' professional skills, training, and work experiences and to bolster military-technical competence within the Army. This two-week certification was provided at no expense to the air defenders.
The capstone event for the certification consisted of students racing hand-built electric cars, and with the event quickly approaching, excitement filled the room.
After two weeks of highly intense electronic training, which had its failures and success throughout, students showed off their electronic vehicles.
As the class was getting ready to race, last-minute preparations were in full swing. Students were checking battery power, wiring, rewiring, soldering circuit boards and following schematics, ensuring components were put together with pinpoint accuracy.
Although this was a competitive event, students displayed teamwork in assisting others by giving advice on how to activate a circuit or simply an encouraging word. The mindset of these students was if one fails, we all fail.
As the starting line was prepped and the green light flashed, students activated their vehicles with a loud thunderous clap. The cars used light sensors to follow the path to the finish line. In the end, there was only one first-place winner who took home bragging rights to his or her unit, but everyone involved received an award for their accomplishment.
"This was an intense course which takes focus and self-study," said Warrant Officer Tom Kerfoot, 140L WOBC student. "This training allows us to better understand the inner workings of the Patriot system and will increase our technical ability in troubleshooting frequencies, AC power, problem-solving, and the ability to identify and isolate technical issues."
"The 140L Air and Missile Defense Systems technicians are the technical experts of the Patriot weapon system, and this advanced training has increased their technical skills and unit readiness," said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Mitch Brown, Chief Warrant Officer of the ADA branch.
Brown added there are career opportunities for other Soldiers to join these warrants.
"The ADA Warrant Office's Accession program is offering up to $60,000 for qualifying 140L applicants," he said.
The Army is committed to recruiting and retaining qualified men and women to strengthen the growing technical and tactical occupations.
For information on applying to become a 140L Warrant Officer, visit https://recruitingarmy.mil/ISO/AWOR.
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